AWOL: A Flippily Happy Tree Friends Story:Season I
by ZotzServant99
Summary: Ryne is a female akita and the leader of the Suicide Corps. Flippy is a bear that has just joined. What will happen when Flippy falls for Ryne, but learns of her brother, the joint leader and legendary bear killer with a deep rooted hatred for bears?
1. The Oncoming Storm

**_Zs99: Okay, just a quick note. This is my Happy Tree Friends story. It revolves around Flippy, so I guess you can call it a Flippy Story...anyway, I do not own Happy Tree Friends, Flippy, Handy, or any other HTF character. I do own Ryne (pronounced Rain), Fyre (pronounced Fire), Sarge, Alam, and Viktor, plus a few more. Now, Alam and Viktor do not look like Happy Tree Friends characters. Instead, they look like normal dogs, and if anyone has seen/read Ginga Nagareboshi Gin or Ginga Densetsu Weed, then you kind of get an idea of their shape. Other than that, enjoy! Oh, Ryne is a red akita, Sarge is a white German Shepherd, and Fyre is a light gray tora-ge(tiger striped) akita with silver stripes._**

**(Story Begins)**

Ryne lifted her head and looked at the sky. It was a strange purple black color, which signified an approaching storm. In the distance, she could hear the thunder and a bolt of lightning flashed momentarily. Over the hour the wind had been steadily picking up speed, making the trees bend and sway fitfully. Ryne pushed her hair out of her face as a fork of lightning flashed close by, followed quickly by a boom of thunder. Huge drops of water started falling as the thunder and lightning increased in frequency.

Since Ryne was under an overhang of a porch, she remained dry, except for the times where the wind blew the water at her. She leaned up against the wall and watched the weather.The door next to her opened and out walked a German Shepherd. His fur was white from ear to tail with a crest of silver hair between his ears. His left eye and ear were shredded thanks to several slashes across his head. About a year ago, he had lost both his eye and his ear to a monstrous bear named Madara. He was lucky, almost half of his platoon had been killed.

He walked and leaned on the wall next to Ryne. "So, I guess Fyre was right about there being a storm coming, right?" Ryne nodded her head. "Yeah, he's seldom wrong about stuff like that."

There was silence after that, broken only by the crash of thunder. "Sarge, tell me again what we're doing tomorrow." The white dog looked at the fiery red akita. "Again? Sheesh, alright."Sarge pulled a slip of paper from his jacket pocket and unfolded it. "It says that we have to go pick up two new members for our squad-" Ryne cocked her head to the side and, continuing to watch the rain, remarked. "So, they found two more members for the 'Suicide Corps.', eh? Who'd be crazy enough to join?" Sarge looked up, amused. "Well, you were, for one." Ryne grunted and remained quiet. Sarge was about to continue, but Ryne interrupted again. "Do they have any know-how about fighting bears?" Sarge scratched his head. "I don't think so, but I think one of 'em is a bear."

Ryne turned and looked Sarge straight in the eye. "You know that only a dog can fight against a bear and hit the weak spot." Sarge sighed. "No, it's not only dogs that can do that. True, only dogs can hit that particular spot with their fangs, but any others could just use weapons."

Ryne stood straight and started walking inside. She stopped in the doorway. "Then let's hope that we have enough weapons." She walked in and the door shut quietly. Sarge shook his head and folded the paper back up before heading in.

**(Timeskip--the next day)**

Ryne sat in the cockpit of the helicopter as she and Sarge made their way to a military Green Beret training camp. Sarge landed the chopper and switched it off. Ryne climbed out and looked around. Everything was just the way she remembered it from when she was in training. "Hey, Ryne. Stop spacing out and come over here."

Ryne blinked and turned to Sarge, then followed. She looked side to side. "So, where are the new members?" Sarge shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know." Ryne cut a glance at him, but made no comment.

Sarge walked up to someone. "Excuse me, where can we find the two recruits for the Suicide Corps." The person, a orange beaver, thought for a moment, then spoke. "You must be talking about Flippy and Handy. Your best bet for finding Flippy would be the obstacle course." Sarge looked to where he pointed and saw it a little ways away.

Before Sarge could speak, Ryne interrupted. "So where's the other one?" "Actually, I'm Handy." Sarge shook his hand (yes, he still has them at the moment). "Well, nice to meet you. I'm Sarge and this is Ryne, the leader of the Suicide Corps." Handy blinked. "The leader is a girl?" Ryne walked over and stood eye to eye with him. "Listen, if you know what's good for you, you won't make a big deal of my gender, understand?" He shrugged, then nodded. "Yeah, I never meant anything by it. I've only ever seen male leaders." Ryne nodded and looked towards the course. "Okay then. Sarge, I'm going to find the other one." "You mean Flippy?" Ryne nodded and started over.

Ryne walked over to the course and looked around. So far, she had seen neither hide nor hair of whoever Flippy was. 'Well, I guess it wouldn't have hurt to ask what he looked like...' She thought as she walked over to the starting line. As she gazed over the course and obstacles, she was gripped by a sudden surge of instinct. Her heart beat slowed down as her mind started to prepare for what was ahead. She hadn't worn any boots today, so she was unhindered. Ryne closed her eyes for a second, then opened then, dashing across the line in the same instant.

Sarge stepped up to the course. He had been looking for Flippy, but had no such luck. He watched as Ryne easily made her way through the course. 'Well, there's no doubt in my mind about why she's leader...well, joint leader.' "Hey Ryne!"

Ryne crouched up on top of a wall and stared at Sarge. "What?" "You find him?" She shook her head. Sarge scratched his head. "Wonder where he is..."

"Hey, are you looking for Flippy?" Sarge turned to see a dark blue badger looking at him. Sarge walked over. He heard a thud behind him and knew Ryne had jumped down. "Yeah, do you know where he is?" The badger nodded. "He left about an hour ago. He said he'd received something and had to leave." Ryne stepped forward. "Which direction?" The badger nodded to the west. "Just over there. Don't know where he was going though. He just packed his stuff and left." Ryne turned to look west, then at Sarge. "Do you think he went to our camp, it's to the west." Sarge shrugged. "Don't know, but maybe."

Sarge turned back to the badger. "Thanks for the help. Ryne, can you walk to the camp? I have some business to take care of here." Ryne nodded and started off with out question.

**(Timeskip--whenever)**

Ryne carefully walked through the forest. So far, everything was silent. And that was the disturbing part. 'No bird song.' She thought as her red eyes looked around. Suddenly, she saw a flicker of movement from some bushes to her right. Slowly, she pretended to pull her jacket tighter, while she unclipped her knives. 'Whoever that is will be in for a big surprise if they think they can rob me...' An evil smile almost played across her face, but she shook her head and stopped. Something seemed to be striving to get out and, instinctively, she knew it wasn't good. Luckily, the feeling cleared out, but some sensation of it remained.

Ryne started walking again, this time being more watchful. 'Whoever it is, they can move stealthily...could it be...?' She stopped and watched as the movement stopped too. "Okay, whoever's out there, come out now!! I know you're there!" There was silence. 'If you won't come to me, I'll come to you.'

Ryne started walking again as she carefully observed her surrounding. The second she saw the movement, she bolted for it. Whoever it was, he was taken by surprise as she bowled into him, sending both of them down a slope. Ryne barred her teeth and snapped at his throat. She heard him gasp and felt a fist punch her hard on the side of her face. She retaliated by smashing her head against his. Even as rocks and stones gouged as her, Ryne kept her grip as they continued falling.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of falling, their rolling was ended by a large tree. Ryne felt pain shoot through her as her back smacked into the trunk. She was winded, but she still had strength. Ryne kicked out, catching her opponent in the stomach and sending him away. Her eyes flashed red as she stood and stalked over to him. He was a light green bear with a camouflage jacket on. She placed her foot on his neck. "So, you thought you could attack me, huh? You don't know me very well, do you?"

He glared up at her and tried to say something, but she pressed her foot harder. "I'll tell you who I am. I'm Ryne, the leader of the Death Squad!"

He stopped glaring and tried to say something, but Ryne prevented him from speaking. "I'm going to let you up now, but if you try anything, no one will ever find your body, understand?" Since Ryne's claws were still pressing on his throat, all he could do was nod.

Ryne backed up and let him sit up. "Now, who the hell are you and why were you following me?" He rubbed his throat and stood up. When he spoke, his voice was rough from where she had stepped on his neck. "I wasn't following you." Ryne glared. "Ok, so I was, but that gave you no reason to attack me." Ryne grunted. "Huh, so what WERE you doing out here?! And who the hell are you anyway?!"

The bear saluted. "I've been trying to get to the camp of the Suicide Corps." Ryne blinked. "Let me guess, your name's Flippy." He nodded. "It's about time I found you. Sarge and I have been all over the training camp and we saw neither hide nor hair of you! For all I'd known, you could've gone AWOL!!"

**(AWOL) (Away Without Leave) (A very bad thing in the Army)**

Flippy stayed quiet and just seemed to stare. Ryne twitched her tail and laid her ears back in agitation. "Well?! What are you looking at?!" He shook his head, as if coming out of a daze. "Nothing." Ryne sighed. Just then, a crack of lightning split the sky and rain started pouring down. Instantly, they were both soaked to the bone.

Ryne closed one eye and looked to the now black sky. "Damned storm. Well, Flippy, not that I need to introduce myself, but I'm Ryne, Leader of the Death Squad, as you should know. Follow me back to our camp." Ryne walked off and started to trudge up the slippery hill. Flippy was once again standing still and staring. Ryne turned back and snorted. "What's wrong with you? Come on before you get sick." He blinked a few times, then followed Ryne.

Overhead, lightning tore ravenously through the sky, as if foretelling a terrible tale.


	2. The Silver Tiger Striped Dog Demon

**Zs99: Well, I've finally gotten the 2 chapter of AWOL out. It is at least twice as long as the last chapter. Anyway, all of the Death Squad are creatures with features like any of the other HTF characters. Anyway, enjoy!**

Sarge sat on a soft couch, reading a book. The pure white German Shepherd was immobile as he flipped the page and continued. A certain orange beaver, on the other hand, couldn't seem to sit still. "Sarge, I'm worried about Ryne. What could be keeping her? And what about Flippy? I haven't seen hide or hair of him. What if they got jumped or... they could've thought that they were enemies and killed each other...OR...?"

Sarge closed his book and stood up. The beaver, Handy, was about to say 'or' again, when Sarge brought his book down heavily on his head. Handy sat heavily down and grabbed his head. "OWW! Why'd you do that?!"

The German Shepherd calmly sat back down. "You mustn't worry about Ryne or Flippy. Ryne is our leader and Flippy has to be tough to join the Suicide Corps. Just relax, you idiot." Handy was about to speak again, when...

_**BAM!!**_

The door flew open, allowing wind and rain to rush in. Sarge leapt up, getting ready to pull out his gun. He stopped, seeing who it was. Ryne stood in the doorway, soaked to the bone. "Fyre didn't say there'd be another storm last night, did he?" Sarge thought for a moment. "You know, I don't think he did..." Ryne stepped in, shaking herself like a dog, which she was. "Hmph...well, I guess getting caught out in the rain was worth it."

Sarge cocked his head to one side. "Worth what?" Ryne moved aside, letting a light green bear walk in. He too, was thoroughly saturated. Ryne jerked her thumb at him. "I found Flippy. Well, we'll say I "found" him." Sarge shook his head. "I'm not even gonna ask. All that matters is you two are safe. Now, I'd suggest that you go and get changed into some warm clothes and just rest for tomorrow."

Ryne narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't you tell me what to do, you white fool. I'm the leader and I'll do whatever I want." Sarge smirked. "And does that include standing there, wet and looking more of a fool than me?" Ryne snorted and walked off to where she slept.

The door closed and Flippy stood in the warm room, looking around. "Hey, Flippy! I thought you died or something!" Flippy turned to see Handy looking relived that his comrade hadn't come to any harm. "Didn't I tell you not to worry!" Sarge looked at Flippy. "So, you're Flippy. Hmm...okay, if you walk down that hallway, you'll see a room with the number 345 on it. That'll be your room." Sarge opened his book again, but stopped. "Oh, be VERY careful when you walk by a door with the name 'Fyre' on it. He hates bears and will not ask questions before ripping out your guts, ok?"

Flippy nodded and was about to salute, when Sarge stopped him. "No need for that here. The only two that you need to show that type of respect to are Ryne and Fyre, your leaders, understand, soldier?" The green bear nodded. "Yes, sir." Sarge smiled, then continued reading.

Flippy walked down a hallway that was a complete opposite of the room he had left. The room had been warm, bright, and friendly. But, this hallway, it was cold, dark, and oppressive. He passed quietly by the door marked 'Fyre' and continued his way.

Suddenly, the door flew open. Flippy's instincts took over and he dove through an open doorway, hiding behind the door. His heart pounded savagely as he listened to whatever it was sniffing and silently padding down the paw, coming straight towards him. Flippy felt sweat slide through his fur as he waited for the open door to be discovered.

The sound of another door opening came to his ears. "Fyre, brother, what are you doing?" It was Ryne's voice. A soft, sad voice answered her. "I sensed a bear, Ryne. Do you know anything about it?...and about whoever left these foot prints?" There was silence. "It was probably one of the new recruits. What does it matter?"

"All bears are evil, Ryne, and we must kill all of them...mercilessly." Ryne's voice, Flippy noticed, was more powerful and seemed to hold more authority than her brothers. "Fyre, just because a bear did those horrible things in the past, it doesn't mean that we have the right to commit genocide and go on a killing spree."

There was silence. "Hmm...fine. But, you won't stop me from extracting my revenge on bears, you understand?" "Fyre, you will only have your revenge if the bear you kill is Akakabuto. But, if you threaten the lives of any innocents, I will silence you personally...brother." Flippy heard foot steps and a door shut. He sighed in relief.

"You should've been quieter when walking, Flippy." Flippy's neck fur stood up and he jumped. "Ryne? How did you sneak up on me?" Ryne stared at him and didn't answer. "You know, just because you're in the Death Squad's HQ, that doesn't mean you're safe. My brother is a disaster waiting to happen...well, to you bears anyway."

"Why does your brother hate bears so much?" Ryne turned her head sharply at him and her eyes flashed. "That is for me to know, and I'll only tell you if I want too!" Flippy held his hands up. "I'm sorry! No offence, okay?" Ryne's eyes softened. "None taken. Anyway, just follow me to your room. Sarge brought your stuff here earlier, so you can at least be dry for tonight."

Ryne showed Flippy to his room and bid him good night. "Don't worry about my brother. He might let his revenge go to his head, but he has a good heart." She blinked when she saw Flippy was starting to stare again. "You need to stop that staring or you'll get a bullet through your head, understand?" He shook his head and nodded.

Ryne turned and walked back down the hall. As she passed Fyre's room, she stopped and stared. She had done all she could to protect Flippy, but she wasn't so sure about what she could assure any protection for him at night. Fyre might take the chance and murder him in his sleep.

**_(Timeskip--5 hours later)_**

Ryne laid awake on her bed. She was fully dressed, waiting for the coming sun and the moment they would leave. Ever since Fyre had tried to find Flippy, Ryne's danger sense had been going off. Putting her brother and Flippy together was a VERY bad thing.

The red Akita's eyes wandered to a picture of her family. There was her, standing in front with a look of annoyance. Her brother, Fyre stood next to her, sticking his tongue out. Her mother, Angel, a silver Tora-ge like Fyre, stood behind them, a kind and loving smile on her face. And, next to her, was Riki. He was a large, red Akita with a handsome, strong face. When she was younger, she always looked to her father for advice and she knew she could always trust him.

She reflected on how her life had taken a turn for the worst. Riki had been called back into action to fight against a hostile force led by none other than Akakabuto. He went missing. Angel had been over with him too, but they had found her body, mutilated and impaled on a tree. Fyre, who was much more attached to his mother, had become withdrawn after that.

Then, he just vanished. Ryne thought that he had died, and had found out only a few years ago that he had joined the army and had made his way into the Green Berets. Sarge, who was her godfather, had taken her to see him, and the reunion was ended with Fyre having a black eye from a fight between him and his sister.

A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. She sat up and walked over to the door. Ryne slid open a flap on the door and looked through it. Standing there was Sarge. Ryne blinked, shut the flap, then unlocked and opened the door. "What do you want Sarge?" Sarge walked in. "I have something to tell you." Ryne shut the door and stood with her back to it. "What?"

Sarge noticed the picture of her family, including his old friend Riki, but he ignored it. "Nero's dead." Ryne blinked. Nero, who was an Alaskan Malamute, was the only Sergeant of the Death Squad, meaning he had been number 2 next to Ryne and Fyre. Ryne had sent him over to the war zone to find out all he could. "How?" Was all she could say. Sarge's eye flashed darkly. "How else? Akakabuto and his forces. He was found...impaled..." Ryne breathed deeply.

"Then that damn bear must die." Sarge knew of the deep rooted hatred between the siblings and the demon bear. He felt some of it himself when he learned what happened to his best friend and his mate. But he pushed it down so that he could raise Ryne and Fyre, even if Fyre wanted nothing to do with him. To Fyre, Sarge was just a painful tie to the past.

"I know that, Ryne, but don't lose your head to the anger...like Fyre did..." Suddenly, there was a crash. Ryne's head jerked up and she twirled around and ripped the door open.

The sound of fighting reached her ears as ran down the hallway, and they seemed to be coming from Flippy's room. Ryne heard Sarge following her, but she ignored him and yanked the door open.

Flippy and Fyre were fighting in the floor and, to Ryne's surprise, Flippy was holding his own against her savage brother. Fyre's eyes were red and foam flecked the sides of his mouth. Fyre slashed out with a knife and sliced Flippy's cheek. Flippy retaliated by punching Fyre in the face, in a similar fashion that he had punched Ryne with.

"Sarge, help me stop them!" Ryne lunged into the room and struck out, knocking the knife from Fyre and knocking him back from Flippy. Fyre snarled savagely and tried to get at the bear, but Sarge grabbed him under the arms and pinned him to the floor. Ryne pulled Flippy, who seemed to be also trying to continue the fight, back. Flippy whirled around and growled at Ryne.

Ryne blinked in shock, his eyes, which were normally gentle and black in color, were now green, evil, and full of malice. He grabbed Ryne by the throat and started choking her. Ryne bared her razor sharp teeth and lunged, sinking them on the bridge of his nose, right between the eyes.

The effect was immediate. He yelled in pain and let go. Ryne pulled back and looked around. She sensed Flippy was recovering quickly, so she was looking from something to protect herself with. Fyre snarled and thrashed around, trying to free himself from Sarge, who was much larger and heavier and kept him pinned easily.

Finding nothing fight with, Ryne turned and faced Flippy, who was rushing at her now. 'I've got to snap him out of it somehow...!' When Flippy was within an arms length of her, she reached out and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. She shook him savagely and yelled in his face. "Damn it, Flippy!! Snap out of it!!" Flippy shook his head and his eyes seemed to clear suddenly. "R-Ryne! Why are you shaking m-me!?" 'That was easier that I...-'

The thought disappeared and Ryne blinked. Didn't he know what he had just been doing? "Wait, do you remember what just happened?" She let go of Flippy and stood as he shook his head and blinked rapidly. "All I remember is falling sleep." He looked around. "Why are you in my room?" Ryne frowned and looked where Sarge and Fyre were. They were gone. 'What...?' "N-Never mind, Flippy, I came in to tell you it's time to wake up."

Flippy stared at her. "But why were you shaking me?" He looked around again. "And why is the room a wreck?" Then he noticed a pain on his face and noticed blood oozing down his cheek. "What the hell happened?!" Ryne put her hand behind her back and dug a nail in her fist. "Oh, I can only tell you what happened to your face and why I was shaking you. I tried to wake you up, but I couldn't. So, I shook you and I accidentally slashed you face." She lifted up her claw and showed him.

"But why is the room destroyed?" Ryne's mind was working fast. "You were walking around and attacking stuff. So, you must have been dreaming or something." Flippy seemed to believe her.

Flippy suddenly flinched and mopped at the side of his face with his sleeve. "Oh, here, let me help." Ryne reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out some tissues and a gauze pad. As she cleaned it, she could think of nothing else but the fight. 'It's truly amazing that Flippy was able to hold his own against Fyre...maybe I've just found Nero's replacement...maybe.'

Ryne had finished patching up Flippy after a few minutes. He smiled at her and touched it. "Thanks, Ryne..." He was about to say more when Sarge walked in. He had a cup in his hand and two more in the other. "Mornin' Ryne, you too, Flippy. Here, have something to break your fast." Ryne nodded as she accepted the drink. "Thanks." Flippy said as he too took a drink. Sarge leaned up against the wall and sipped his coffee. "So, today's the day we move out, eh?" Ryne nodded as she stared at her own coffee. She was swirling it and seemed to be lost in thought.

Sarge stared at her. How would she react when she came face to face with her parent's killers? Before Sarge could ponder any farther, Ryne downed her coffee in one gulp and stood up. "Okay, it's time for the assembly..." She turned and ran out without saying anything else. Flippy stared after her, then turned to Sarge. "Is something wrong?" Sarge shook his head, "Well, if you don't count that fact that we're going to war, then nothing is wrong."

**_(Timeskip--Dawn)_**

Ryne stood beside her brother in front of the assembled group. Flippy looked around, started that they were all just standing wherever they please. In his old camp, they had been made to stand to attention in straight lines. But, everyone here, they just were in disarray. The other thing he notice, was that most of them were dogs. The was a very small scattering of different creatures here and there, but most of the Squad was composed of dogs.

Flippy felt several pairs of eyes boring into him. He was the only bear here, probably because it was a bear they were fighting. But, one pair stood out from all of them. The feeling came from a male Akita that stood next to Ryne. His fur was a light gray and it had silver stripes, which reminded Flippy very much of a tiger. The dog's light blue eyes seemed to be filled with hate as he looked at the bear.

Ryne glanced at Fyre, who was starting angrily at Flippy. She turned back to the Squad and started to speak. "Everyone! Most of you have known that this day would come! Today is the day we leave to go to the war zone. I can tell by your eyes that most of you have not slept last night. Still, even beneath that, I can sense an excitement. Most of you have been training all of your lives for this day, the day that you would finally prove your worth and show the army that you're honorable members of the Suicide Corps."

Ryne stopped and gazed out. Despite being grouped loosely and having a disrespectful nature about them, all of them would rather die than betray their leaders and comrades, or miss a fight, for that matter. She continued. "I also have some sad news for everyone. Nero is dead." There were a few gasped of shock and a few snarled of rage, but most of them took this sad new with a silent indifference. There would be time for private mourning later.

"When you joined, I promised to never keep a secret from you unless it was utterly necessary. Nero was impaled. Most of you know who impales in Akakabuto's army: Madara, his right-hand bear. Even if Akakabuto was the reason he is dead, Madara definitely had a hand in it. So, remember that and release any anger you have at the enemy!!" All of the dogs lifted up their heads and howled, all of them felt their blood starting to boil.

Ryne when on. "Now, there is one more thing I must do. With Nero dead, we need a new Sergeant!" Everyone went quite. They knew what it took to be number 2 and none of them wanted to do so. That one thing, was to stay alive for five minutes in a fight with Fyre. Up to this date, many had tried, and now all of their bodies were collecting worms. Nero had been the only exception. Flippy listened hard. Everyone was still and none made a sound. Obviously, they were all frightened of whatever they had to do.

"And, the new Sgt. is..." They all stopped breathing. Flippy blinked as Ryne's eyes locked onto him. "...Flippy." There was an auditable gasp of shock. Fyre wheeled around on Ryne. "How dare you! Appointing a bear to that position!!" Ryne barred her teeth at him and snarled nastily. "How dare YOU!! You might be joint leader, but I'm still the top!" Her fur bristled as her temper mounted. "I say he is the new sergeant, and that's final, BROTHER!" Her fur laid back down and then, Ryne whispered. "Or would you like me to tell everyone about last night?!" Fyre growled softly but stayed still. Ryne glared at him a second longer, then turned back to them.

"If anyone has any complaints about my disposition, then you can come to me about it. We'll then 'settle' it out...MY way." Everyone felt a shiver run down their backs. They knew very well what 'MY way' meant.

A dark, oppressive atmosphere hung around the camp. "Now, I'll announce the platoon leaders." In the Death Squad, Ryne and Fyre were at the top, with Ryne slightly higher than Fyre of course, then there came the Platoon Leaders. They were the leaders of a group of 5 or more Death Squad members. The Platoon Leaders, in turn, took their orders from Ryne and Fyre. "The Leader of Platoon 1 shall be Crow."

Flippy turned and saw a pure black Akita. Her eyes were pitch black and seemed to be almost dead, lacking any luster, just like her fur. Apart from Ryne, Crow was the only female on the Squad. She nodded her head in acknowledgement. "Platoon 2 will be lead by Great." A large Great Dane nodded. He had strange golden fur and orange eyes. "Next, Platoon 3's leader will be Jaguar." Yet again, another dog nodded his head. Flippy couldn't really tell what type he was, but his fur was dark brown and he had light green eyes. "And finally, Sarge, you'll lead the Airborne units. Understand?" Sarge smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

Ryne's eyes swept over them once more. "Good. Everyone! Be prepared to leave in 10 minutes, do I make myself clear!?" Everyone barked out in unison. "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!!" Ryne smiled and turned to leave. Flippy watched her go, but still he felt a pair of savage eyes burning his fur. He turned his head slightly and saw Fyre glaring through a curtain of his reddish-blonde hair. Flippy snorted. 'Fyre, you remind me of a demon. Hah, a silver, tiger-striped dog demon, that's what you are Fyre...'


	3. The Raging Stream

**_Zs99: Okay, the third is now out. And I must explain something. Ryne wears a black shirt under her camo jacket. Since I've never seen Flippy without his jacket, I can't really say anything about it. So, use your imagination._**

Ryne sat in Sarge's helicopter with Flippy, Crow, and the other Platoon Leaders. Fyre was there to, but his eyes were fixed on Flippy, still radiating hate and contempt. Ryne was the only person keeping him in line. But, she still would have to keep a close eye on her brother. Ryne turned and looked out of the window. It was pitch black out, but she could tell that they were over a forest, although she wasn't sure what type it was.

Sarge kept his eyes forward as he flew. He noticed Ryne looking out. "Don't forget to tell me when to give the signal." Ryne nodded and focused on her task.

Suddenly, she spotted a compound that had several building in it. All of it was surrounded by barbed wire and there were spotlights shining everywhere. Ryne felt her stomach clench. "Okay, do it." Sarge nodded and spoke into his headsets. "Okay, all of you, it's time!"

Flippy's paws tightened around the straps of his parachute. This plan was daring, but it was extremely risky. If it wasn't done properly, they were all dead.

Sarge reached out and flipped a switch. Lights suddenly flashed from the bottom of the helicopter. Lights started blinking on all over the sky. If they had been on the ground, the Death Squad would have heard creatures below yelling to shoot. But, they could see them preparing to fire. Ryne stood up and shoved open the door. "Okay, everyone, JUMP!!" Everyone leapt out of the chopper.

They seemed to hang, suspended by invisible strings, when the explosions happened. Flippy craned his neck to look up. All of the helicopters were bursting into flames, owing to the gunfire of the enemy.

When everyone touched down, it was a race against time. They had to disengage themselves from their harnesses and run, fast, away from the area that the helicopters would crash. Instinct overtook Flippy as he pulled out his bowie knife and slashed through the cords, not even bothering to unbuckle his harness. His legs pounded the ground like pistons as he ran. A flash of red, followed by another of silver and yet another of white, streaked by him. Suddenly, and to his horror, he felt something trying to take control of him. And, against his instincts, Flippy stopped running, shaking his head.

Ryne's danger sense went off and she looked back. There was Flippy, just standing there like a complete idiot!! She twisted around, dropped onto all fours and ran back. "FLIPPY!! YOU IDIOT! DON'T JUST STAND THERE!!" Flippy shook his head and looked at Ryne, then he looked up and his eyes widened in horror. Sarge's helicopter, now a raging ball of fire and twisted metal, was falling fast towards him.

Suddenly, he felt a blow that knocked the breath out of him. Ryne had leapt, cannoning her body into his and knocking him to safety. Ryne was now in danger, or so it seemed. She threw herself into a roll and made it clear. The chopper crashed to the ground, a mere foot from Ryne's tail. A spark leapt out and touched the golden band she wore on her tail, lighting up the metal. Ryne pulled her tail away and leapt over to Flippy, shouting as loud as she dared. "You complete and total IDIOT!! You could've gotten killed! Stopping like that! And what did I tell you about staring!!" In the light of the fire, Ryne's eyes flashed, red, slitted, and glittering with madness. "I can't afford to loose someone like you! You are the Sgt. of the Suicide Corps.! I can't just replace you like that!!" Flippy thought he caught a strange look in Ryne's eyes, but it was gone in an instant.

Ryne snorted angrily and turned her back to him. "Come on. Just because you're safe from the crash, that doesn't mean that we're in the clear." Ryne dashed into the thick tree cover. Flippy stood for a moment, than followed.

**_(Timeskip--10 minutes later)_**

Sarge paced the bank of a fast-flowing river. He was worried. "What is taking her…She was right beside us…What if…" He mumbled something, then shook his head. "No, that can't happen…" Fyre looked out in the direction where he had last seen Ryne. Even though he hated to admit it, he was worried about his sister as much as was Sarge. Despite the resentment he felt about her appoint a bear to Sgt., he still loved his sister, the last of their blood. "I don't know what has happened to her, but I can bet that she's still alive." Fyre said in his melancholy voice, trying to calm Sarge down.

Sarge looked at him and Fyre could see that his eyes had a mixture of relief, fear, and anxiety in them. "Y-yeah, she can't just die in something as mild as that, hahaha…" His feeble attempt to lighten the situation dwindled away with a fourth 'ha'.

Crow, the black Akita, was sitting on a large, collapsed tree trunk. Unlike everyone else, her eyes were trained specially to see at night when light was limited. A flash caught her attention, making her stand up and narrow her eyes. She looked for a second more, than smiled.

From the cover of the trees, stepped two figures: a red female Akita and a light green bear. Sarge didn't notice them, nor did Fyre, for he was trying to convince Sarge it was all ok, which, by the way, was failing miserably. Crow slowly started walking through the group until she reached Ryne and Flippy. She threw a quick salute. "Good to see you, Leader." She turned to Flippy and nodded. "Sergeant."

At the word 'Leader' and 'Sergeant', everyone finally took notice to Ryne and Flippy. Sarge rushed over to her. "My God, Ryne! Where did you go?! I was worried." Ryne noticed the look in the white Shepherd's eyes. "Oh, I could tell you were worried. But, don't worry, I just got" She looked quickly at Flippy. "caught up. Nothing more."

Ryne saw Fyre standing a little ways off, but he was now staring angrily at Flippy. Sarge didn't seem to be paying attention anymore and he wandered off in the direction of the raging river. "Well, at least you're back and safe. I thought that you…" But Ryne wasn't listening anymore. She was now concentrating on a figure in the trees.

It was a squirrel, with fur as black as Crow's. Ryne tracked it's gaze. It was staring straight at Sarge. Sarge had his back to everyone, still talking to Ryne and gazing at the water.

Suddenly, it launched itself out of the tree, racing straight at Sarge. Ryne dashed forward, putting her body between Sarge and the assassin, pushing the Shepherd out of the way at the same time. The squirrel was going too fast to stop. He struck Ryne, knocking her back. Ryne felt her paws slipping on the water slicked rocks and, with a bark, she tumbled into the raging stream.

Sarge turned around and watched in horror as Ryne was swept away. He howled in rage and launched himself at the would-be assassin. The squirrel knew his mission to assassinate the leader had failed. He turned to run back to cover, but Sarge was right behind him.

Suddenly, something silver flashed by the white dog. Sarge stopped and stared. Fyre had his fangs in the squirrel throat. Blood gushed from his neck as Fyre sank his fangs deeper. The squirrel struggled, but only managed to injure himself further. Fyre lifted up one of his paws and slammed it on the squirrel's face, pinning his head to the ground to prevent a bite. He then put his other paw on the squirrel's chest, pressing down with both paws. There was sickening ripping sound as Fyre jerked his head up, tearing out the squirrel's throat. The squirrel's spine showed as he died.

Fyre stood up, his mouth and front bloody. He spat out the mass of gore then yelled. "Come on! We have to find Ryne!" Then, he noticed someone was missing.

**_(In the river)_**

Ryne struggled to keep her head up as she was rushed down the river. Her head surfaced, but submerged yet again as she was struck by a jagged underwater boulder. Moments passed as she desperately tried to make her way back to the surface.

Her head broke the surface, but was quickly pulled under again. Ryne felt a pain as a rock tore open her sleeve, slicing a groove from her arm. Yet again, her head surfaced. She quickly pulled in a breath. She knew it was futile. She had spent to much time and energy simply trying to keep her head above water. She would drown.

Ryne closed her eyes as she started to slide back underwater. 'So, this is it. I drown. Without even getting to set my fangs in that bastard bear...' She was to absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even feel the two arms that wrapped around her and pulled her to the surface.

Flippy gasped as his head emerged from the water. He held Ryne close, keeping her head above the water. He looked at her eyes, both of them were almost fully closed, only allowing a thin slit of red to show through. "Ryne! Come on, stay awake!" She looked sleepily at him. "You...idiot...why'd you..." Her eyes shut as she fell into unconsciousness. "R-Ryne!" "Flippy!!"

Flippy turned his head to see Fyre running along the ridge. "Is Ryne ok!!" Flippy kept Ryne's head above water as he shouted back. "She's unconscious, but she's alive! Argh!" Flippy's head suddenly disappeared underwater. Fyre kept running as he scanned the water. In a splash, Flippy surfaced. "What happened!?" Flippy dodged a rock. "There are large rocks everywhere!"

Suddenly, a shadow, darker than night itself, appeared beside Fyre. Flippy was protecting Ryne from the rocks, letting them smash against him instead, but most of the time he just avoided him. "Flippy! You have to get out, NOW! Crow says there is a huge-!"

The roar of water drowned out the rest of what Fyre said. But Flippy knew what he meant. Waterfall. He tried to keep calm as he looked for something to grab. A large dead tree trunk was laying on the riverbank, and one of it's limbs trailed into the water. Flippy reached out and grabbed it. Fyre reached the trunk in time to see the limb break.

Flippy stared in horror at Fyre as he was caught in a powerful current. Fyre leapt onto the trunk and ran across it and out onto another limb. It was powerful unlike the one Flippy had grabbed, but it was to high to reach from the water. Fyre threw himself flat and reached out. Flippy lifted his paw and grabbed at Fyre's outstretched paw. But the current was too powerful, and pulled Flippy out of reach of Fyre.

Fyre, being belly down on the log, could only watch in horror as Ryne and Flippy were pulled over the edge. Fyre slowly stood up, the enormity of what had just happened weighted heavily on him. The silver Akita stood on the edge of the cliff and looked down in shock into the darkness below.

Sarge followed Crow as she led them down the bank to where Fyre was. Sarge ran pass the black dog and up to Fyre. "Fyre, where are Flippy and Ryne?!" Fyre looked at him with dull eyes, then he looked back over the cliff and pointed. Sarge seemed to grow older before everyone as he collapsed to his knees.

**_(Timeskip--ten minutes)_**

Down below, Flippy coughed up water as he struggled to get the water out of Ryne. Using both of his paws, he pressed down again and again on her chest. Her heart was still beating, but barely.

Suddenly, she shuddered and water gushed out of her mouth and she coughed. She rolled over and continued coughing up water. Flippy tried to help her, but Ryne snarled and barred her teeth. When she looked at him, her eyes were empty, showing that she was still unconscious. They shut and she collapsed.

Flippy breathed out heavily. He was tired and his energy was almost fully expended. But, luckily, Ryne was still alive. As they had fallen, Flippy had twisted so that Ryne was on top of him and he took the blows, including when they smashed into the water below. Now, they were wounded, tired, and alone in enemy territory, but they were alive. Flippy flopped onto his back and looked at the sky.

But, something told him they were not alone. He jumped up, suddenly filled with energy. He heard a growl growing in his chest, which turned to a snarl. Flippy reached down and lifted up Ryne. He dashed to a hollow in a tree and looked into it. Surprisingly, it opened up into a large cave. He climbed in and gently pulled Ryne through.

Flippy laid Ryne down at the back of the cave. She was shivering and dreaming fitfully. Flippy slipped off his jacket and laid it over her, then ran back to the entrance. He reached out and pulled something over the opening. He peeked through a hole and saw that he had finished non to soon.

A large bear suddenly came into view. Luckily, it didn't smell them, owing to the large hunk of bloody meat that hung from his mouth. Flippy snarled silently as he reached for his gun, but then he relized that it had been washed off in the rapids, so he just watched. Flippy's eyes tracked the bear until it disappeared into the dark night.

All of the energy that seemed to fill him just then suddenly vanished. He sank to the floor of the cave, sleep threatening to overcome him. Almost painfully, he pulled himself up and made his way over to Ryne. She had stopped shivering, but still twitched in her sleep. Flippy sat down next to her, keeping her warm. Even though he was terribly tired, he kept awake, knowing the consequences of not have a watch. Currently, he was more afraid of Ryne waking and finding him asleep.

**_(Timeskip--Morning)_**

Ryne's eyes flinched as she shook sleep off. In a horror, she remembered what happened last night and her eyes flew open. She suddenly relized that she was covered in sweat and that she was not on the bank of a river. She looked around to see that she was in a cave of some sorts.

The Akita noticed that she was covered in a jacket and that someone was next to her. Flippy was sitting upright, staring at the entrance. Ryne sat up. "Flippy, how'd we get here?" Flippy's eyes were dark ringed and bloodshot and his voice sounded like a machine. "I pulled you in after the fall."

Ryne blinked. "Wait, were you awake all night?!" Flippy nodded. Ryne stared at him. Slowly, she took off her own jacket and bundled it up. She laid it down. "Flippy. You need sleep if you're gonna be any use to me. Here, lay down." Flippy blinked drowsily and did what she said. Ryne lifted up Flippy's jacket and laid it on him.

The effect was almost instantaneous. Flippy's eyes closed and he started snoring softly (like in the show, I just didn't know how to describe it). Ryne stood up, working out the stiffness in her limbs. She took another look around the cave. It was about two times her size in height and it was large enough to fit the entire Squad in it. 'Well, you not only saved me, but you found us a new HQ.' Ryne looked down at the bear. 'I was right about you then, even if finding this place was just a stroke of luck.'


	4. Massacre

**_Zs99: Welcome to chapter 4 of AWOL. Special thanks for all of you who read the first and the ones after! Anyway...I've forgotten what I was going to put here...so just enjoy!_**

Fyre carefully scaled the cliff face. The waterfall was pounding in his ears, drowning out the sound of the Death Squad as they made their way down too. Fyre gritted his teeth as a sliver of rock sliced through his paw. He felt the blood warming his somewhat numb paw as he continued.

When he was about ten feet from the ground, he jumped off, landing cat-like and rolling out of the way. Seconds later, Sarge landed where Fyre had stood. Without waiting, Sarge started walking down the bank and scanning the water. Fyre started walking beside him. "I don't think you should see her body." Sarge glared at the tiger-striped Akita. "Don't say that! She's not dead!" The white Shepherd started walking faster.

Fyre shook his head. He turned and saw Crow walking beside him. "What about you, Fyre? What will you do if you see her body?" Fyre had thought of that himself. "I don't know, maybe I'll go crazy, maybe I'll fall into a depression. It doesn't matter. But, I think Sarge'll just die. He promised Riki that he'd watch Ryne..."

"Fyre! Come here!" Fyre signaled for everyone to stop walking and he ran up to Sarge. Sarge pointed at the ground. Fyre's eyes widened as he say a pair of paw prints. Paw prints that came from the direction of the water. "Only one pair, though. Can you tell if it's Ryne or Flippy?" Fyre's eyes flashed as he said Flippy's name.

Sarge didn't notice as he sniffed the air. "No, I can't, but it HAS to be one of them!" Sarge started following them, then stopped again. "Fyre, there are bear tracks up here!" Fyre walked up and glared at the prints. They were huge, way too big to be Flippy's. Here and there they could also see little splatters of blood.

Sarge's neck fur stood up. "You don't think it ate Ryne, do you?" "Of course not! I wouldn't have let him!" Fyre and Sarge stared at each other. They knew that voice!

Both of them turned around and stared. There was no one there. Sarge stood up straight and looked closer. Suddenly, a pair of red eyes appeared before them and a portion of the forest seemed to detach from the rest. Sarge ran forward, only to get splattered by mud as Ryne shook herself off.

"Ryne! I knew that you were alive!" Ryne, even though she had gotten most of the mud off, still had a thin layer of mud on her, making her red fur stick off, odd looking and discolored. Still, that didn't stop Sarge from embracing her. Ryne thought that her lungs were going to pop as the Shepherd hugged her tight. "S-Sarge! Let go of me! Before you snap my spine, then I'll really be dead!"

Sarge let her go, his white fur now stained brown. He smiled and scratched his head. "Well, what can you expect after a whole night of believing you to be dead!" Ryne nodded, then frowned. She turned to Fyre. "Did you kill the guy who did it?" Fyre nodded, his eyes angry. "Yes, I tore his throat out. And don't worry," He said at a look on Ryne's face. "they won't find his body, so our presence here is still unknown."

Ryne was still thoughtful. "But, how did he know where to find us?" Fyre reached into his pocket and pulled out a note. "The idiot didn't have enough sense to destroy this after he received it." Ryne read it carefully. "So, he must have thought we were a rebel group. It says that their leader is a white dog. Oh, so that's why he attacked Sarge. He thought he was the leader," She frowned at that "and that we were this rebel group."

She scratched her ear as she thought. "What if we get this group to fight with us..." Fyre shook his head and spat on a tree. "Don't even think of it. This dog, I've heard of him before. His name is Hougen. He's said to be a real bastard, well, maybe a real deadly bastard, if a reputation is anything to go by. Even so, I don't think he would be able to take down Akakabuto."

Ryne shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well, never mind then." Something clicked in her mind suddenly. "Oh, I, well, Flippy found an area we can use for a Head Quarters!" At the mention of Flippy, Fyre's eyes seemed to turn aggressive, but they were less mean than what they used to be. Still, Fyre's eyes told her that he'd kill Flippy if he had the chance. Sarge looked around. "Flippy? He's alive?"

The red Akita nodded and pointed to a tree. "Yeah, he saved me from the river and the bear. And he stayed up all night keeping watch, even if it made him a robot in the morning." Sarge stared at the tree Ryne had pointed at. "But, there's nothing, oh, never mind." He had noticed a small hole in the trunk. "But how did you fit through?"

Ryne looked strangely at him. "Sarge, do you think I'd cover myself in mud and sit out in the open just for fun?" Sarge stared at her in confusion. "And what would that have to do with fitting through a hole in a tree?" "Okay, let me rephrase that. I covered myself in mud to camouflage myself from unwanted eyes, right? Well, that's what I did to the hole in the trunk." Ryne walked over to it and pulled away branches and bushes that were set up to cover the hole.

Now, Sarge stared into a hole would easily allow himself and the others through. Great might have a little trouble, but the Great Dane should be able to get through. "Oh, now I see. And, where is Flippy?" Ryne gestured for them to follow her as she disappeared through the hole. Sarge waited for Fyre to go in, then he waved to the rest of the Squad and then slipped through.

Fyre and Sarge looked around in wonder as they suddenly saw how big the cave was. "Wow, that's amazing. It's held up by all of these tree roots, isn't it?" Ryne nodded. "As much as I can tell. I'm betting we can make it even bigger, too. You see, all of the trees around her are only about one or two feet from each other. So, as long as we stay under the roots, they'll support the cave."

Sarge started walking to the back, still staring at the ceiling. "Wow, this place really is...whoa!" He fell flat on his face. Ryne blinked in surprise and walked over to him. When she came closer, she was that Sarge had tripped over Flippy. But, the bear had to have been a heavy sleeper, because he was still asleep! "Sarge, watch where you're going! You tripped over Flippy!" Sarge picked himself up and dusted off his jacket. "What the...he's still asleep!" Ryne look at Sarge and shrugged. "Didn't I tell you he stayed up all night keeping watch? He deserves to sleep as long as wants, for now. Besides, what use to me is he if he's tired?" Sarge shrugged, not knowing quite what to say. Behind him, the Suicide Corps. had entered the cave. Everyone suddenly scattered as Great tumbled in. He sat on the ground and rubbed his head, then stood up. His head almost scrapped the roof. "Well, at least I can stand up, it's just the getting in that aggravates me." Ryne smiled at the Dane. "Sorry, Great, I couldn't do any better."

**(Timeskip--14 hours later)**

Flippy's eyelids twitched as he woke up. Something was different. His eyes opened and then blinked shut at the sudden light. "Well, look who's finally come around." He cracked his eyes open slightly and saw Crow. She was sitting a few feet away from him, drinking something hot. Flippy sat up and winched as a slight pain ran through him. Crow reached over and handed him another drink. "Here, Ryne said to make sure you drink this when you woke up."

Flippy gratefully accepted the drink, which turned out to be some type of tea. "So, where is Ryne?" Crow took a sip of her drink and jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "Supervising the expansion of the cave." That was when Flippy noticed how much bigger it was. "?! But, I was only asleep for a little while, how did they get it this much bigger in such a small amount of time?"

Crow took another sip. "Actually, you were asleep for about 14 hours." Flippy spluttered his drink. "What!? That long! Why did she let me sleep so long?" Crow shrugged. "All she said was that you needed your sleep. Plus she felt sorry for you, since Sarge tripped over you after all." "Wha...?" Crow cut him off. "Save all of your questions for Ryne. I have to get back to work." She drained the rest of her tea and, placing the cup aside, got up and headed for the back of the cave.

Flippy looked at his drink and swirled it. What did they think he was? Lazy? 'They should've woken me up!' He stood up, then he felt another twinge of pain. 'Maybe they did the right thing...and let me sleep...but, I didn't feel Sarge trip over me...' Then again, he did sleep heavily...

"Flippy..." Flippy turned his head and saw Fyre sitting still in a dark area of the cave. "Just because you saved my sister, that doesn't make me hate you any less..." He stood up and headed for the entrance. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be watching for enemies." Flippy watched him go, knowing that the silver dog meant what he said.

"So, Crow told me you were awake." Flippy turned and saw Ryne coming out of a tunnel. "Guess what?" She didn't allow him to guess. "We were able to tunnel to another bunch of trees. This is now out HQ, and we have you to thank for it. But, that doesn't mean you'll get preferential treatment. Come back here and help us dig." Ryne didn't wait for him to say anything or start walking and she vanished down the tunnel. Flippy quickly down the rest of his drink, which had made him feel a lot better, and followed.

Great was one of the best of the diggers. Despite having to be bent over most of the time, he had proved to be the most efficient. The Great Dane stood up and wiped his forehead, then he noticed Flippy come in. The dog reached over and grabbed a shove and tossed it to the bear. Flippy caught it easily and came over to stand between Ryne and Great. The gold dog ferociously swung his shovel and sliced a root in half. He turned to Flippy as he tossed the root behind him. "Listen, you can cut the roots that hang down, but not the one like this." He tapped his shovel on a large root on the ceiling. "If you cut that one, the whole cave'll cave in. Understand?"

Ryne tossed a load of earth behind her. "Oh, come off it, Great. I'm pretty sure Flippy knows which roots to cut and which to leave alone, right?" Flippy smiled and nodded. Great shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. "Do you think I can read minds or something? How would I know if he knows?" Ryne shook her head and continued working.

**(Timeskip--2 hours later)**

Ryne sat on a root and drank from a canteen. She looked around, impressed by the amount of work they had done. Not only had they finished digging in a relatively short time, but they had also managed to move tons of equipment in. Nova, a dog with long copper fur, sat fiddling with a gun. He had been messing with it ever since he join, and Ryne had never even asked him what he was REALLY doing. "Nova, what are you doing with that gun anyway?"

Nova looked up. "Oh, just adding a bit of this and that to it. I added a Silencer to, well, silence it. Since Crow and I are both assassins/spies, we have to have silent weapons-" He was interrupted by Fyre, who had suddenly come running from the entrance. "Ryne, we have trouble." Ryne danger sense suddenly went off. She leapt up. "What?!" Fyre shook his head. "I can't tell you, I just need you to follow me."

Ryne started running after Fyre. She suddenly stopped. "Everyone, follow us. Move silent and keep your weapons close at hand." All of the Squad was immediately alert as they followed their leaders out into the night. Flippy was running behind Ryne and he could hear what Fyre was telling her.

"I posted Crow at the entrance as I went out. I had a bad feeling, so I just had to go look. And...Ryne, it's a massacre..." Fyre went silent, almost horrified to say anything else.

They followed the river downstream until they came to a gentle downward slope. Suddenly, Ryne and Fyre stopped. Fyre looked at Ryne, then pointed down into the valley. Slowly, the Corps. made their way down the hill.

Bodies. They were everywhere. Some were hung from trees, impaled and hung by their tail or feet, but most were charred into a blackened pile of ashes, some of them still had flames licking hungrily across them. Gore was splattered across the ground and several houses were ablaze. Flippy's eyes were wide with horror. Snarls were heard from several members as they stared at the bloody scene before them. Ryne just stared in a horrified silence. "See. This is why we're here. We need to kill Akakabuto, he is the cause of all this. If we let him live anymore, this could be our homes and families one day."

From across the village, Sarge had found something. "Hey, Ryne! Come here." Ryne lopped the strap of her gun over her shoulder and dashed over. As she reached Sarge, she could see a small shape curled amongst the burned remains of one of the houses. Ryne walked forward and bent down and grabbed the blanket that was over it. As she yanked it off, a hiss ripped through the air and something small darted out, only to get blocked by the rest of the Squad. It hiss louder and turned, but the way it had ran from was blocked by Ryne and Sarge. It crouched down on all fours and, baring its teeth, snarled savagely.

Now that Ryne was closer, she could see that it was a he and that he was a small cat, pure black in color with cerulean blue eyes and a dark red bushy tail. Around his neck he wore a shark fang necklace with small blue shells between each tooth. He showed his fangs again. "Keep away from me, you dirty mutts, or I'll kill you!" Ryne crouched down and stared at him. "You kill me? I don't think so. Besides, why would you want to kill us?"

He puffed his fur out. "You've come to finish what you started! You killed my family, now you've come to slaughter me! Just as Akakabuto's Decree says!" Several low growls were heard as the bear's name was mentioned. Ryne silenced them with a glance. "Akakabuto's Decree? What's that, cat?" The cat spat angrily. "I may be a cat, but that sure as hell isn't my name!" Sarge growled angrily. "Watch that tongue of yours, whelp!"

The young cat laid back his ears. "I'm not a whelp! My name's KuroKaze!" Ryne reached into her pocket and pulled out a stick of jerky. She carefully held it out him. KuroKaze stared suspiciously at it, then reached out and snatched it. Ryne waited as he devoured it hungrily. He licked is lips as the delicious flavor. "That's nice, give me some more!" Sarge eyed him and glared. KuroKaze flicked his ears. "May I please have some more?"

Ryne nodded and handed him another stick. "Now, can you tell me about this Decree?" He looked at all of them, then nodded. "Yeah, I guess. You don't seem like his soldiers..." "Oh, trust me, KuroKaze, we're not." The little cat seemed to liven up then and he became more friendly. "Oh, you don't have to call me KuroKaze, it's kinda a mouthful. Just call me Kuro." Ryne nodded. "Okay Kuro, so what is the Decree?"

Kuro sank to the ground and rested. "Well, from what me mom and dad told me, before they were...you know...Akakabuto wants only his to reign supreme in this area. So, he said, 'If any of you want to join me, then come!'. Most came, but still many stayed behind, not wanting to get involved. Well, then he starts sending out his fighters to murder anyone that stands against him. Including my family. Even if someone begged and pleaded, they still were to be killed, or as he calls it, exterminated...so now, all of us will die, for it is his word..." His voice dwindled away to nothing.

Silence hung about the Squad. Some murmuring could be heard here and there, but must of them were silent. Ryne stood up and looked at Fyre, then the rest of them. "See, as I said before, we can't let him take over. This is the reason we are here, to kill that damn bear even if it means sacrificing our own lives." Ryne then looked back down. "Kuro, do you have a place to stay?" His small head bobbed up and down as he nodded vigorously. "Right, then I want you to go there and be safe. Understand?"

KuroKaze stood up and nodded. "Yeah, I know." He dashed off suddenly, quickly disappearing into the deep foliage. Flippy looked around at the village again. "I think this is the work of flamethrowers." Ryne nodded. "Yes, I've been enough through bloody campaigns to know the signs of a flamethrower. And, I know how to get them from the enemy without any problem. So, just leave it to me and Fyre, and then we'll give them a taste of their own medicine, right Fyre?" Fyre nodded his head, more than happy to finally be able to inflict the pain given to him by Akakabuto back.

Ryne handed her gun to Sarge and readied her bowie knives. "Okay, so here's the plan..." Amongst the burning remains of a destroyed village, a dangers pack was preparing for war.


	5. The Fire Fight

**_Zs99: Whew...I actually managed to get this out. As I go along, it seems to get harder to find ideas. But, that won't stop me!...It'll just make the other chapter take a little longer to come out. Oh, Fyre was supposed to have half of his right ear torn off starting at the beginning...but...I forgot to add it...Anyways, enjoy !_**

A black fox lifted his head and looked at the sky. Today had been a good day. Every since Akakabuto's Decree came out, he had go to kill and plunder all he wanted. Just a few hours ago, they had attacked a village and burned it to the ground, killing everyone and taking what little possessions they had. He smiled as he turned to one of his comrades. "Today was good, eh? Do you think we'll be able to do it again tomorrow?" His companion was a black weasel. The weasel spat on the ground and answered. "More'n likely. Akakabuto won't stop, you know that. Eh, well, more fun for us, eh?" They both laughed. Neither of them noticed the 5 creatures that tailed them.

Ryne watched the black creatures in silent disgust. Her hatred of Akakabuto increased as she listened to them. Beside her, cloaked in fur as dark as shadows, crept Crow, a black Akita. She kept her eyes peeled for any signs of ambush. Oh Ryne's other side, eyes flashing red, stood Fyre. The silver Tora-ge, or tiger-striped, Akita clenched a large knife as he waited for his sister to make a move. Great, a gold Great Dane, kept his eyes forward. He too, clutched a knife. And finally, there was Flippy, a light green bear.

Their mission was a simple, but risky one: follow the enemy and, after they had refilled their flame throws, ambush and kill them. Ryne had first used this very strategy in a battle a few years ago. It had worked perfectly, going off without a hitch and without a single Squad member killed. Now, the entire fate of every free creature rested on their shoulders.

Ryne's tail swished as she watched the group of 5 black creatures make their way into a compound to get refueled. Ryne had noticed that every single creature on Akakabuto's side was pure black, whether naturally or dyed. Still, no matter how black, none of them matched Crow, who's fur was darker than shadows and lacked luster, making her a perfect night fighter.

**(Timeskip--26 Minutes Later)**

Ryne laid amongst a bunch of ferns, watching silently as the enemy made their way out of the compound, on their way back to Akakabuto's stronghold. Quietly, the 5 Death Squad members started creeping closer. Ryne sent out Great and Crow to circle around front, while Flippy, Fyre, and herself stayed in the back. Then, Ryne gave the signal.

She ran out and slipped a blade in front of the black fox. Deftly, she slit his throat. Chaos broke out as the enemy tried to take control of the situation, even will the were being slaughtered. Ryne looked up to see Great snap the neck of a black skunk as Crow sliced a black bear's head off. Fyre ran up to the weasel and sank his fangs deep, killing him in the same manner as he had killed the black squirrel.

A presence suddenly loomed behind her. She turned and saw a black badger. He was reared up, claws and teeth barred, but both of his eyes were dead. She leapt back as he fell forward, a bowie knife sunk to the hilt in the back of his head. Flippy stood a few feet away, still in the position in which he had thrown the knife.

Ryne cleaned her knife on a pawful of grass. "So, mission successful?" Fyre, who's mouth was bloody, nodded. "Yes, every one of the vermin have been eliminated..." Ryne smiled as she lifted up one of the flame throwers and placed it on her back. "Good. Now, let's go. We have some business to take care of."

**(Timeskip--30 minutes later)**

A large group of Akakabuto's force was marching northwards, back to their base. Dried blood stains splattered their clothes, a result of the latest of their "missions". Little did they know they'd never make it back.

Flames suddenly erupted before them, killing 6 black beasts in the front. Chaos, similar to that of earlier, spread throughout the group as one after another their members were killed. They looked to their commander for orders, then turned and fled when they spied his charred body. But, escape wasn't possible. More flames sprang up, quickly wiping out several.

Ryne torched another as he actually tried to fight back, unlike the rest of them. The look of shock that was on his face as he saw she was a female, it was almost too much, and Ryne thought she would've burst out laughing as she incinerated him. In a matter of minutes, the battleground was scattered with dead animals. A gentle just of wind blew through the area, blowing some embers and ashes up and waving Ryne's hair. She felt exhilarated at the battle as she breathed deep. The plan was highly simple after they got the flame throwers. Just like earlier, she, Fyre and Flippy circled around in front of the enemy, with Crow and Great trailing them, preventing escape, from the back at least.

Ryne turned her head and was startled as she saw one black creature running off. "Damn, missed one!" Before she could go after it, an eruption of flames brought it to it's knees. Ryne glared at Flippy. "Hey! That was MINE!!" Flippy kicked a corpse. "Deal with it, you got the most of them anyway!" Fyre watched them arguing over how much each of them had killed. He sighed and looked out into the woods, then blinked.

Movement. He was sure of it. He slowly started to back away. When he reached a clump of bushes, he ran silently, circling around behind where he had seen the movement.

Ryne was still arguing with Flippy. She turned in surprise as she heard a startled yowl. "Wha-? KuroKaze!?" The young cat was suspended by his red tail. He hissed and swung at Fyre, but missed. "Let me down, stupid dog!" Fyre put him down, but then thumped him between the ears. "Call be a stupid dog again and you'll pay dearly, idiot cat."

KuroKaze smoothed out his ruffled fur and snorted, but didn't argue back. The tip of a knife pricked his nose. He froze and looked up. Ryne kept the knife there as she spoke. "So, cat, why are you following us?" She removed the blade and let him stand up. He kicked at a clump of grass. "Nothin'..." "Come on, tell me, or would you rather tell Sarge?"

The black cats eyes flashed. "No! Uh, I, you know, just don't really have anywhere to go..." Ryne raised an eyebrow. "But you told me you had somewhere to stay." He sighed. "I know, I'm sorry. But, you never asked me where or what it was." It dawned on Ryne. "So, 'a place to stay' meant following us?" His head bobbed up and down. Ryne massaged her head. "You..."

"You stupid little beast!" Ryne's eyes flew open. Fyre had grabbed the cat by his tail again and shook him. "Do you know you could've died?! Are you really that stupid!?" "N-N-No! I ha-have nowhere else t-to g-go!" Fyre stopped shaking him and dropped Kuro. Kuro looked dizzy and he shook his black head. "All of your family were killed, then?" The young cat nodded. "I only just managed to get away. My mother took the bullet that was meant for me...My father died a few days earlier. I guess she didn't want to feel that lose again..." Ryne looked at Fyre. The Tora-ge shrugged, not knowing what to say.

Ryne sighed and looked towards Flippy. He blinked in surprised and pointed at himself. Ryne nodded. "Uh, I guess we should take him with us, I mean, if that's alright with you, Ryne." Fyre's eyes narrowed at Flippy, but the bear did his best to ignore it. Ryne stared Flippy straight in the eye. "Is there a reason?" Flippy kept Ryne's gaze as best he could. "Well, he could get captured. He could reveal our presence here if they tortured him. Plus, his welfare would be jeopardized." Ryne continued to stare. Flippy started to think he'd said something wrong, when she smiled. "And that's why your Sgt. Okay, were taking KuroKaze with us. Understand?" Everyone nodded, even Fyre, even though he shot a venomous glance at Flippy. "Good, now let's start heading back."

Cautiously, the Death Squad made their way back to HQ. Even though KuroKaze was young, he was surprisingly agile and had incredible stamina. Ryne walked at the back of the group as she watched him as he kept up with Great and Crow. She turned to Flippy, who was walking by her side. "Nice thinking on your part. Fyre was probably all for leaving him there." Flippy shrugged. "It was nothing really." Ryne's eyes glittered mischievously. "Sure. Whatever you-HIT THE DIRT!!" And she dropped to her stomach.

Gunshots rang out as the Squad dropped, got out their guns, and returned fire. Great had thrown himself at Kuro, knocking him out of the way. Blood now oozed down Great's arm from a groove that a bullet had sliced into it, but he still had his gun out and was firing. Ryne turned her head to see Flippy beside her. She almost jumped, his eyes were green now as he held his gun and started shooting savagely. Ryne looked out and saw several black creatures fall out of the surrounding woods. Quickly, she aimed with her own gun and more enemies were now going down everywhere.

When she was out of ammo, Ryne dropped down and reloaded. She turned her head and saw Fyre fall backwards. She feared the worst, when her brother rose back up. Half of his right ear was missing and blood was flowing from the wound, but he continued to fight. Even in the heat of combat, Ryne smiled. Nothing stopped her brother for long. She looked to see how Flippy was doing, but was surprised to find him missing. His gun laid there, but where he was, Ryne couldn't tell. A bullet flew by, grazing Ryne's cheek. She sprang back into action, aimed, and fired, taking out her attacker.

Soon, the ground upfront of them was littered with dead, black furred bodies. Ryne and the Squad walked amongst them, scavenging weapons and anything that could be of any use to them. Ryne bent down a pulled a rather large knife from an enemy's belt. 'I guess you wont be needing this anymore.' She thought as she thrust it into her belt. She stood up straight and saw Flippy.

He was thoroughly saturated in blood. He had his knife out and, it too, was stained with crimson blood. Ryne walked over to him. "And where have you been? Off fighting a war of your own?" He wiped the knife on him bloodied jacket. "No. I saw several of the enemy sneaking around behind us. Since you were all occupied with the front, you wouldn't have noticed them until it was too late." He sheathed the knife. "Are there any wounded or dead?"

Ryne shook her head. "Well, none of us were killed. We have a few bullet grazings, but it's nothing severe. The good this is that we've killed all of the enemy and we've got a load of new weapons. So, all is good. What about you, are you hurt?" Flippy shook his head, splattering some blood on the ground. Ryne glanced at it. "Heh, what did you do, bathe in blood?" He shook his head. "No, I just killed. It's weird...it just can come so naturally. I know that no pleasure should come from killing, but..." He shivered and dropped his voice. "...it was like a part of me enjoyed it..."

Ryne felt a shiver run down her spine. "Well, maybe you just got caught up in the action. Stuff like that happens, you know." Flippy didn't seem convinced, but he seemed a bit more relaxed. "Well, never mind it, Flippy. We just have to get back." She looked him up and down, then smiled. "I think I'll have to chuck you in the river, though. I don't want any blood drug into the base, got it?" He smiled. "Understood." "Good God, what did you get into?"

Ryne and Flippy turned and saw Fyre walking up to them. He had at least 5 or 6 guns slung over his shoulder and his pockets bulged with bullets he had taken off the enemy. He stopped and cast a suspicious eye over Flippy and was about to comment, when Ryne jumped in. "Flippy has disposed of a group of enemies that were trying to sneak around behind us. He didn't bring his gun because of the chance he had of hitting one of us."

Fyre turned his head to the side and glare at Flippy, like he was vermin, then started walking away. "Fyre!" The silver Akita stopped walking and turned his head slightly. Flippy was glaring angrily at him. "Why do you hate me so much!?" Fyre kept staring at him. Flippy was almost shaking with rage now and his eyes flashed green. "I've never done anything to you! You've no right to treat me like dirt!" Fyre wheeled around and swung a gun at Flippy. Flippy dropped down, feeling the handle nick his ear as it sped above him. Fyre's hard blue eyes bore into Flippy's green ones.

"What right, you say! Well, I'll tell you! Your kind killed my parents! My mother was found impaled on a tree, all thanks to a disgusting bear like yourself! She was the only one who understood me! My father liked Ryne the best, so he only taught his secret attack to her! When this war is over, I'll kill you! Remember that!" Fyre turned around and stomped off in a rage back to the HQ. Everyone was looking back at them, they had never seen Fyre loose it like that before.

Flippy turned to Ryne. "I...I'm sorry...I was just tired of him treating me like that..." Ryne silenced him. She didn't seem angry, just tired and sad. "Don't apologize, you didn't know. Even if Fyre has a hatred of bears, that is no excuse to treat you like that. He's forgetting..." She lowered her voice "...that I've lost someone I love too..." Flippy sighed, wishing that he'd just stuffed his feelings down and kept quiet.

Ryne shook herself and seemed to recover. "Okay, everyone! I'm not sure if Akakabuto sent them, or if it was just a fluke that they found us, but we need to get back to HQ, quickly!" Ryne started off, not waiting for anyone. Flippy watched her go, then he looked down. Everyone was already well ahead of him, when he was suddenly snatched up. He turned and saw Great. "Come on, stupid one. You're getting left behind." Flippy could tell he was joking, but, for some reason, it made him feel worse. "Let me go! I can walk on my own!" Great smiled and set him down and the both of them continued.

Sarge was looking out of the disguised entrance. He turned slightly as Nova came and sat beside him. He had his gun with him. 'I swear, he never goes anywhere without that gun...' "Any sign of them?" Nova asked as he peeked out. Sarge shook his head. "Not one. But, don't worry about them. They, like you, are highly trained, so there's nothing to worry about." Nova nodded, then started to mess with his gun again. Sarge sighed and turned to look back out.

"Any word from Intelligence?" Nova nodded. "Yeah, but he hasn't found anything yet. Of course, he only started looking about a few hours ago." Sarge twisted his head around and stared at him. "What!? But, how are we gonna be prepared to launch an attack without coordinates?!" Nova shrugged. "He said he didn't need the amount of time you gave him." Sarge rolled his eyes. "Well, at least he's confidant in what he does..."

Suddenly, the bushes were torn away. Sarge quickly took out his knife and Nova swung the gun around and aimed. He blinked. At the end of his gun was Fyre. He was standing still and staring at the muzzle. Nova removed the gun and shouldered it. "Sorry, Fyre. I thought you were the enemy." Fyre walked in and set the guns he had down. "I could've said the same for you. I try to get into HQ and I find a gun in my face."

Another form came in. Sarge and Nova recognized the blood red fur and saluted. "Ryne. Glad to see you're okay." Ryne flicked her paws at them. "Come on move now! Everyone has to get in."

They moved back, just in time as Crow came in. Her black fur almost made her invisible as she moved away from the entrance. Soon, everyone was in, except for Great and Flippy. Everyone held in their laughter as Flippy was almost flattened beneath Great as the Dane climbed in. Sarge stared at KuroKaze. "Oh, goody, you're here." KuroKaze stuck his tongue out at the Shepherd.

Ryne smiled at them, then remembered something. "Flippy, didn't I say I'd chuck you into the river?" Flippy saw a strange look flash through her eyes. He held up his paws and started backing away. Ryne lunged at him and missed. Flippy climbed through the entrance and ran, looking back over his shoulder. Ryne raced after him, then shouted. "Watch out for the river!" Flippy looked forward and dug his heels into the earth, stopping inches from the water. "Phew..." "ARGH!!"

Ryne ran smack into him. Both of them were flung into the river. Luckily, this time, it wasn't as fast moving. Ryne's head popped out of the water and she spat out some water. Flippy came up and gasped. He turned to Ryne and frowned, only to receive a stream of water that Ryne spat at him. "Eww..." He said as he rubbed his face. A shadow descended over them. Ryne looked up and saw Sarge. He had his arms crossed and a stern look was on his face. "Ryne, that was really stupid of you. You too, Flippy. I expected better of you too." Ryne smiled up at him and climbed up the bank, but she stopped Flippy. "Oh, no you don't! You're not to come out until you get that blood off you."

Flippy glared at her, but just sighed and did as she said. Ryne turned to Sarge and whispered in his mutilated left ear. "If he asks, tell him. You know what I mean." And she walked over to HQ. Sarge looked over his shoulder, knowing perfectly well what she was talking about. It wasn't the first time she had said something like that, but it was always, 'don't tell'.


	6. The Journey

**_Zs99: Wow, I got this one out in less time that I expected. Maybe the extra sleep from summer vacation is working...Anyway, review or just read and enjoy as you prepare yourself for the next chapter !_**

Ryne snored slightly as she curled tighter in her hammock. She groaned and rolled over, then snarled as she dreamed.

Wind shrieked around her as she stood on the top of a large mound of boulders. The ground around where she stood was littered with bodies. Only one was moving. Ryne recognized the green fur and she launched herself off the mountain, run at breakneck speed towards Flippy. But, it wasn't friendship she felt towards him. Instead, it was an all consuming hatred and the need to kill. 'Am I becoming my brother!?' She thought as she ran.

As she neared him, Flippy swung around. His teeth were now fang-like and his eyes were green like in the fight with Fyre and the fire fight. He thrust out a knife and Ryne ran straight into it. She collapsed to the ground as blood splattered from the mortal chest wound. Ryne felt her eyes glazing as she looked up at him. Flippy looked down and laughed insanely as he lifted the knife for another plunge. The knife flashed down.

Ryne's eyes flew open and she screamed. Sarge woke startled and, with a 'WHOA!', fell out of his own hammock onto the floor. He shook his head as stars exploded before his eye. "Ryne, what's wrong?!" He looked at her. Ryne touched her chest, then her side. She breathed a sigh of relief and flopped back. Sarge scratched his head and stood up. "Was it that bad of a dream?" Ryne nodded her head absentmindedly, but didn't elaborate on what it was about. Sarge climbed back into his hammock and laid back down. "Well, I think you need to try and get some more sleep."

Ryne stood up and stretched. "Nah, I think I'll go relieve Fyre. I don't think I could sleep even if I wanted to at the moment." Ryne reached out and grabbed her compound bow and a quiver of arrow. "You, on the other hand, I'm ordering to go back to sleep." Sarge snorted sleepily, but didn't argue as he pulled his sheet back over himself. Ryne silently made her way to the opening and slid out into the night.

Nova sat with his back against the trunk of the tree. He had his infrared goggles on and he jumped when his whole vision suddenly turned white hot. He backed up and lifted up the goggles, never once taking his hand from his gun. "Ryne, you startled me. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Ryne shook her head. "I'm fine. I've come to relieve Fyre..." She turned her head up and saw her brother sitting on a branch just over head. "So, you've finally come. I've been waiting for someone to take my place for a while." The silver dog stood up and jumped onto Ryne's branch.

"Keep an eye out, I have a strange feeling about tonight. Can't you hear it?" The three of them listen. Nova cocked his left ear, then his right. "But, I don't hear anything..." Ryne turned towards the copper dog, her blood red eyes glowing in the moonlight. "That's just it, there's no noise, not even the crickets are chirping..." She faced her brother. "I see. You just go and get some sleep." Fyre grunted and nodded slightly, then leapt to the ground, easily sliding through the entrance. Ryne now looked at Nova. "You can stay if you want, but if you feel tired, go and wake up Flippy and tell him he's on guard duty with me. Understand?"

Nova nodded. "Yes, I understand, but Ryne," His bright blue eyes sparkled "you don't have to ask if I understand or not. I can understand anything you say, you're not speaking another language or anything." Ryne smiled at him. "Yeah, whatever, brat." Out of all the Corps members, Nova was the youngest. Still, despite his age, he was deadly with a gun and had a higher intelligence than most creatures his age. 'But' Ryne thought 'his intelligence is nothing compared to his brother...'

Nova's ear drooped. "Please don't call me a brat..." Ryne gently punched him in the arm. "Oh, come on, I was just playing with you." His ears lifted slightly. "Yeah, I know..." He pulled his goggles down and started his watch again.

The evening went by uneventfully. Ryne turned and looked at Nova. He was slumped slightly. Ryne broke off a twig and threw it at him. It struck him, but only his ear twitched slightly. "Why you..." She broke off a larger branch and jabbed him in the side. Nova flailed for a moment, then pushed his goggles up and rubbed his eyes. "I wasn't asleep, ho-..." His mouth yawned wide, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth "...-nest."

Ryne poked him again. "Yeah right, get down and wake Flippy up. You're no good to anyone if you sleep on your watch, right?" Nova nodded sleepily, then scaled the tree and almost fell threw the opening. Ryne shook her head, then resumed her own watch.

**(Timeskip--10 Minutes)**

Ryne looked at her watch. 3:10. 'Where is he...?' Her question was answered as Flippy emerged from the hole. He looked around for a moment. "Up here." He jerked his head up at Ryne's voice. Ryne waited until he was seated next to her before talking again. "So, what took you so long?" Flippy rubbed his right eye sleepily. "I'm a sound sleeper. It took Nova a while to wake me."

Ryne smiled as the memory of Sarge tripping over Flippy came back to her. "Yeah, I should've known..." Ryne went quiet, she had heard something. She whipped out an arrow and aimed into the dense forest. Her eyes flickered here and there as she tried to pinpoint the source of the sound. Ryne closed her eyes and let her ears take in everything. She heard it again. Her eyes flew open, pinpointed the enemy and let the arrow fly. The black figure dropped without a sound.

Ryne leapt out of the tree. She was quickly followed by Flippy. Ryne reached the body and turned him over with her foot. The black enemy's eyes were wide with shock and the arrowhead protruded through his forehead. With her eyes still looking around, Ryne stooped and searched his pockets. She pulled out a note and a large bowie knife. Ryne started back towards the tree, but not before saying. "Take care of him, Flippy." Ryne didn't wait to see how Flippy would get rid of the body.

Ryne, Fyre, Sarge, Great, and Crow sat around discussing what Ryne had found. Sarge scratched his ear as he turned the note over in his mind. "So, Akakabuto knows that we're here, but he doesn't know WHO we are or where we are...maybe he just thinks we're rebels..." Ryne nodded. "Let's hope. We can't have him know that the most dangerous of his enemies are here..." Fyre and the rest nodded in agreement. Ryne was about to continue, when the noise of someone coming in interrupted her. She turned her head to the left as Nova walked in. "Uh, sorry to interrupt anything, but Intelligence just messaged me. He has the coordinates of Akakabuto's stronghold."

Ryne stood up and walked over. "Good. Where is it?" Nova read a piece of paper. "He says that it is located between two mountains that look like fangs. It's called Twin Fang Pass. His stronghold is a massive hill of boulders called Gajou." At the mention of the hill of boulders, Ryne remembered her dream and she felt a shudder crawl up her spine, but she didn't let anyone know about it.

Ryne turned and started pacing. "Did he tell you how many follow Akakabuto." Nova nodded. "Yeah, well over a thousand." Everyone either jerked, twitched, or gasped at that. Ryne stopped pacing, then resumed after a minute. "So, it's our little group of 15 against an army of 1000 strong, not including their leader..." She folded her arms and looked at the ceiling. Flippy was standing just a little ways away. He had come in in time to hear Nova's report and his own brain went to work.

"Hmm...what if we went out and gathered reinforcements?" Ryne turned to look at Flippy. "Yes, my thoughts exactly. But, we have to figure out the best place to find them..." Nova interrupted again. "He already thought of that." Nova brought out another piece of paper. "He says that there is a large group to the north." Fyre was about to say something about it being Hougen, but Nova went on. "This says that we should avoid the pack lead by a harlequin Great Dane name Hougen. There is another group located farther north, in an area dominated by cliffs and whatnot." Ryne looked at him. "What's the leader's name?" Nova shook his head. "I don't know. He never said anything about it."

Ryne nodded. "Okay. I think we should go and look for this group. But, I believe that only a handful of us should go. The less we are, the harder it is to notice us." Everyone nodded in agreement. The number of members of the Death Squad was always built on that logic.

It was decided. Ryne would travel north, seeking the alliance of this rebel group. Fyre, Sarge, and Flippy would be traveling with her. While they were away, Crow and Great would be the leaders, with Nova following closely behind. KuroKaze had demanded to come earlier, but Ryne forcefully declined. "This is the business of creatures who were born to kill. You wouldn't understand." The young cat had walked off in a huff.

Ryne had just finished packing her stuff, when Fyre confronted her. "Why did you pick Flippy to go? If we're fighting against bears, why should we bring one along with us?" Ryne zipped up her backpack. "Simple. When you go anywhere to try and impress a leader, you have to bring the four top soldiers in order to actually stand a chance of impressing someone else." Fyre laid his ears back. "But that still doesn't mean we should take him. Why don't we take Great or Crow?"

Ryne turned and locked angry, slitted eyes on her brother. "Why don't YOU shut your mouth and stop doubting my decisions!" Fyre breathed heavily, but didn't say anything. Sarge had heard the argument. "Fyre, Ryne is also trying to show that not every bear is the enemy. That's something that you too should learn." Fyre snorted and put on his backpack and started to walk away. "And, remember this Fyre," Fyre stopped walking. "your mother shared the same belief that Ryne does."

The silver Tora-ge flicked his ears, then continued walking. Ryne sighed and pulled her own pack on. She checked her bowie knives, making sure they were secure. "Okay, is Flippy ready?" Sarge scratched his ear. "I guess. You should just go and check. I'll go and wait with Fyre." Ryne nodded. "Fine. Go on then." Sarge saluted briefly, then headed for the exit.

Ryne found Flippy by his hammock. He seemed to be spacing out or something. Ryne nudged him, making him jump slightly. "Come on, it's time to go. Sarge and Fyre are already waiting outside." Flippy looked at her sadly. Ryne flicked her ears slightly. "Ryne, what if Fyre does kill me?" Ryne felt her fur start to fluff out. "Fyre might have anger issues, but he won't kill you while I'm around. Besides, he knows we need all the soldiers we can get." Flippy closed his eyes and just shook his head. 'Flippy, if only you knew of what happened, you'd understand...' "Well, we need to get going anyway. Come on, hurry up." Ryne turned and headed out. Flippy stared at her, then put on his backpack and followed.

The going was rough. Several times they had come across some of Akakabuto's black fighters. Ryne didn't want to take the chances of engaging the enemy and getting wounded, so they skirted around them. The air, they noticed, was also changing. It seemed to be getting cleaner and colder. One morning, Ryne wore up and noticed that her breath frosted as she breathed. She turned towards Flippy. "Well, at least we know we're headed in the right direction." Flippy smiled. He had started to cheer up a lot as they journeyed.

"Well, I'd always hoped that you knew where we're going." Ryne laughed quietly. Fyre was sitting next to her. Lately, and to Ryne's amazement, he seemed to be trying to trust Flippy a lot more than he had been. Ryne had first noticed it about a day after they had started traveling. Fyre had come to relieve Flippy of his guard duty. Ryne was awake, and she watched and listen. Fyre's tone was a lot less heated and hate filled than it used to be. Plus, as Flippy walked passed him, Fyre's eyes didn't following him in the extreme hate or distrust that they normally did. At this, Ryne was glad.

**(Timeskip--3 days)**

Ryne awoke with a start as she relized that there was a thin layer of snow covering her. She stood up and shook snow from her fur. "Burr...my God, it's cold..." She looked and saw that Sarge and Flippy were still sleeping, tucked deep into their waterproof, and hopefully warm, sleeping bags. Fyre was sitting by a fire he had made, warming some coffee. He looked up and Ryne approached him and handed her a cup. "Here, it's watered down, but it's warm." Ryne took a sip and coughed, but drank it anyway, glad to feel something warm in her. Fyre waited for her to drink some more. "Ryne." She looked at him. "Who do you think the leader is?" Ryne shrugged and swallowed some more. "I don't know. But, we'll have to try and find out when we get there." She stretched and set the empty cup down. "Fyre, pour two more cups. I need to wake Flippy and the white idiot up." Fyre smiled slightly as Ryne used a nickname that they had called Sarge before their parents died.

Ryne walked over Sarge and kicked him slightly. "Come on, idiot, get up on your paws." Sarge's white head poked out of the bag. "All right, all right! I'm getting up." He started to get out, stretching his arms and shivering slightly as a sudden wind ruffled his fur. Ryne walked over to Flippy and, crouching down, gently shook him awake.

Sarge walked over to Fyre, scratching his head. "Damn, it's cold out! When did it start snowing?" Fyre added more wood to the flames. "Just after you fell asleep. Luckily it didn't snow a lot, but I feel it's just gonna get worse the farther north we go." Sarge grunted and looked at Ryne. "Sure, you wake him up easily, but kick me. You should honor your elders, brat." Ryne looked up and frowned at him. "Shut you mouth, OLD fool." Sarge turned his head and said, mischievously, "Yes, ma'am..." A knife thudded into the ground next to his paw. "Enough of the 'ma'am' stuff, or I'll march the paws right off your legs." Sarge turned and smiled at Fyre. He definitely knew how to annoy her, that was sure.

**(Timeskip--Midday of the next day)**

Fyre was right, the weather was getting worse. Ryne's eyes were narrowed as she kept her head down and continued to walk. Her paws felt like ice and her ears were numb. She had taken her gold tail ring off, the metal had gotten far too cold to wear.

A sudden strong gust of wind whipped up suddenly, pushing Ryne backwards into Fyre as her paws slipped and her claws failed to grip the icy ground. Before they knew what happened, all four Corps members were tumbling down a slight hill. Ryne's head popped out of the snow and gasped for air. Sarge's and Flippy's heads surge to the surfaced, shaking snow from their fur. Ryne felt something wriggling around under her, then she relized that she was sitting on top of Fyre. She leapt off and apologized as Fyre gasped for air.

Ryne crossed her arms. "Okay, this is getting us nowhere. We need to hunker down now and wait out the storm. But," She relized "if we stay separate, we'll freeze." Ryne pulled out her sleeping back and unzipped it. The others followed, Sarge and Fyre knew what she was doing.

Soon, they had fastened all of the bags together and sealed them. Ryne pressed herself against Flippy as Fyre curled closer to her and Sarge laid next to Fyre. In a matter of minutes, they all were feeling a lot warmer. Flippy looked at Ryne, even though he couldn't see her. "How'd you know to do that? They never taught it to us before..." Sarge answered. "Ryne started this when she took over the leadership of the Suicide Corps. It's the best way to keep warm in freezing cold weather. Once, the whole Squad would've froze to death if Ryne didn't think of this. We were on an assassination mission farther north, in a land where is was eternally blanketed in snow. A sudden blizzard sprang up, sorta like this one now, but a lot more fiercer. We owe our lives to Ryne for this..."

Ryne shifted slightly. "Sarge, stop talking about times past and acting like I'm a legend or something. That was the past, this is the present. Let's just concentrate on keeping alive." Everyone went quiet. None of them had to fear sleep or enemies at the moment. Ryne let herself drift into a deep and dreamless sleep. Flippy was almost asleep himself. He reached out unconsciously, accidentally placing his paw on Ryne's back. He blinked in surprise as he felt several deep scars, feeling them even though her jacket was covering them. 'God, what's really happened to you?' He removed his paw and, curling closer to the Ryne and the others, fell asleep.

**(Timeskip--Midnight)**

Ryne's eyes snapped open. She had sensed something. Her danger sense tingled as she lifted her head slightly and nudged Fyre. His eyes opened quickly, as if he'd never been asleep. "You sense it too?" Ryne nodded. "Yes, wake Sarge up." Ryne turned towards Flippy and shook him. His eyes flickered, then shot open. "Ryne, what-?" Ryne covered him mouth. "Shh...be quiet and get a knife out. I'm going to unzip the bags and when I do, I need you to be ready to fight. Understand?" She removed her hand and he nodded. "Okay, people, one, two, three!"

Quickly, Ryne unzipped the bag and sprang up, her bowie knives flashing. The sky was cloudy, but at least the snow had stopped falling and the wind was perfectly calm. Then, Ryne relized what a dangerous position they were in. They were in the middle of what looked like a bowl. The sides sloped up and, around the edges, it was lined with pine trees. Ryne stood with Flippy on her left, Fyre on her right, and Sarge at her back, each of them were facing a different direction.

Ryne looked around, there was no one to be seen, but her danger sense was now going crazy. "Ryne, look into the trees." Fyre whispered from where he stood. That was went she noticed the dark shapes, over a hundred of them, huddled around the rim. A low growling started to echo around the area. But, Ryne ignored all the rest, her eyes were locked on a lone figure, standing in a treeless patch of ground. He was a large dog, but Ryne couldn't figure out his species. And, judging by the way he held himself, she could tell he was the leader.

She heard Sarge whisper. "We're in for one hell of a fight..." Ryne never took her eyes off the dog as she nodded. 'More like one hell of a death...' she thought as the clouds started to disappear and the moons glow could be seen as it started to come over rim, shining from behind the lead dog. Ryne's pulse quickened as she prepared for a savage fight.


	7. First Blood

**_Zs99: Yay! I got the 7th chapter out! I hope you all enjoy :3...I've still haven't added Handy yet, so don't be surprised when he suddenly shows up! The title is straight out of Rambo, my favorite movie of all!! It might not be the first time the Suicide Corps have killed, but it's the first time they've...(the screen goes black and the story begins)_**

Ryne's eyes were trained on the figure of the boss dog. He stood atop the hill, looking down at them, while the moons light radiated around him. Suddenly, he leapt, landing with a thud in front of Ryne. As he breathed, it made a strange wet whistling sound and his voice was deep and grating. "Are you the leader?" He spoke. Ryne's mind was working fast. 'Where have I heard that voice before...' She thought as she answered. "Yes, what is it to you?"

Without answering, the dog leapt at Ryne, his fangs flashing. Pain erupted on the left side of her face as she shouted, more from surprise than pain. Flippy, Fyre, and Sarge fell back, watching as the dog and Ryne started circling each other. Flippy growled slightly and moved forward, but Ryne stopped him. "No, all of you stay out of this. This is a fight between leaders..." The dog lifted his head and barked to his followers. "You lot stay out of it! If any one of you messes with us, I'll gut you!"

Ryne and the dog stopped and stared at each other. The moons light was faint, for it hadn't come over the ridge yet, making it impossible to distinguish the opponent. Ryne crouched down, taking up the stance that all fighting dogs used. The area was silent as both sides waited for their leaders to make a move.

The dog suddenly dashed forward, his fangs aimed at Ryne's throat. At the last moment, Ryne dodged aside and landed a powerful blow on her opponent's muzzle. The dog snarled and swung his head, hitting Ryne in the stomach. She kneeled over, landing a massive head butt to the dog. The dog dropped with a grunt and Ryne staggered backwards, shaking her head at the dizzy feeling that was taking over. The dog staggered up and barred his fangs, even though he too was dizzy.

The dog shook his head and lunged. Ryne felt his fangs tear into her shoulder. She snarled and sank her own fangs into his neck, biting down hard and feeling blood gush into her mouth. The dog shook his head, sawing his fangs deeper into Ryne's shoulder. Ryne's own fangs ripped loose. She snapped at his head, feeling her teeth impale one of the dogs tattered ears. She was surprised at the lack of ear, it seemed he had already had them shredded in a battle long ago. Ryne raised up her paw and slashed at her foes muzzle. Confusion erupted through her as her claws scrapped against something that felt like bone.

The dog yelped and let go. He backed up and, by the way he was moving, Ryne could tell he was wiping his face in pain. She herself hurt pretty badly, especially her shoulder. Her blood was freezing, causing her blood soaked fur to stick up in sharp spikes. She snarled and started to circle the other dog again.

Fyre watched as his sister prepared to attack again. 'She's getting roused...this could be bad...!' If this fight kept up, Ryne could be too wounded to continue. Fyre knew he had to somehow break through to his sister. "Ryne! There has to be a better way! We've come to find allies, not make enemies!" At the mention of Ryne's name, the dog stopped growling and lifted his head. He could be heard sniffing wetly. "Ryne...I knew you sounded familiar..." He turned his head towards Fyre and sniffed. "...Fyre...you're here with your sister too..."

Ryne stared at the dog. "Wait, are you...?" At that moment, the moon appeared over the hill, sending its bright light down into the hollow. The snow started glowing and, now, Ryne recognized the owner of the voice. They were now staring at a German Shepherd. He was colored like a normal Shepherd (or like Jerome, for all you GDW lovers out there ), except for his blood red stripes and his white muzzle, which, at closer examination, struck horror in everyone. It was not white fur that covered the upper muzzle. It was bone. "Alam...you're alive..." Alam twisted his mutilated ears forward and stepped towards Ryne.

"Yes, Ryne. I'm alive." He drew his tongue over a wound. "But, it feels like you sent me through hell." Alam turned his mutilated face towards the rim. "Everyone, get your tails down here now, or I'll tear them off!" In a heartbeat, the bowl was suddenly swarming with dogs. They were all normal dogs (in other words, they are not shaped like HTF characters), but they had a strange hardness about them. The Corps members surveyed the massive numbers in awe.

"There must be close to 300 here..." Alam turned to face Fyre. "Yes, Fyre. This is my pack...or horde, whatever word you prefer." Alam's eyes widened as he saw Flippy. "A bear?" He turned towards Ryne. "Why does a bear fight amongst dogs?" Ryne glanced at Flippy, telling him with her eyes to remain quiet. "Why is anything the way it is? He choose to be on our side. And I have no reason to doubt him."

Flippy felt an instant rush of gratitude for Ryne. She wasn't afraid to stick up for a comrade, that's for sure!

**(Timeskip--1 hour)**

In the presence of so many dogs, the Squad seemed to be warmer than they had been in nights. With all of them packed in the Bowl, as the valley they were in came to be called, their body heat was enough to keep everyone warm.

Alam listened to Ryne as she told him of all that went on. At the end, he stood up and stretched. "Yes, that's us. Akakabuto's madness has spread even to the far north. All of them," he swung his head around the group "they're all WarDogs. Trained to kill, each and everyone of them. Most of them can speak, but there are a few that you can only get barks out of. Still, none of them would be suited to live in a house, just like a house dog has no place on the killing field."

The Shepherd stared at Ryne's shoulder wound. "If I had know who you were, I wouldn't have attacked." Ryne pressed a rag against her shoulder. "It's nothing. I'll get someone to look at it when me get back..." Alam stood up and started walking over to a heap of snow. Suddenly, it rose up, showing that it was a dog. Her fur was as white as freshly fallen snow. Her eyes, with were a bright golden yellow, were ringed slightly with black, like a wolf's.

Alam stopped in front of her. The she lifted her head up and fixed her startling yellow eyes on him. "Alam, sir. What is it?" Ryne blinked in a sort of confusion as Alam nuzzled the female. "Do you remember me telling you about the two that save my life?" She nodded. "Well, the one I was fighting was her. I need you to heal her." The yellow gaze found Ryne as the dog lifted herself up and shook snow from her fur.

Without saying anything, the dog walked over to Ryne. "So, you're Ryne." She bowed her head. "I have you and your brother to thank for saving Alam." Ryne scratched the back of her head and glanced at Fyre. He shrugged and Ryne turned back to the dog. "Oh, no problem, we couldn't just let them kill him."

You see, several years ago, Ryne and Fyre had been sent on an extremely dangerous mission. They were to infiltrate an enemy stronghold, gather info, then blow the place up. After succeeding, Ryne and Fyre were on their way back, when they stumbled across something horrible. Bodies littered the landscape. There were the carcasses of WarDogs and the enemy alike. Two enemies were standing around a still living WarDog. His pelt was covered in slashes, obviously from torture and his ears had been torn thoroughly. Still, the most horrifying injuries had been inflicted to his face. All of his upper muzzle, including his nose and lips, had been sliced off. Even though he was terribly wounded, Alam had still been snarling, his long upper canines coated in both the blood of this enemies and his own. Ryne and Fyre had wasted no time in dispatching the two enemies. By the time they had arrived at a base, Alam had lost consciousness from blood lose. In the end, they had had to scrape off the remaining flesh, leaving the white bone visible.

Ryne looked at Alam. "I told you I'd find you if you ever needed help again, didn't I, Ryne?" Ryne nodded. As he left, Alam had made a promise to Ryne. "Since you saved my life, I promise you this: No matter how far apart I am from you, if you ever need help, I'll come. I'll never forget it, Ryne." Those were the last words he had said before vanishing into the wild northern winter.

Ryne flinched as the white dog used her tongue to apply a poultice to her wounded shoulder. It stung slightly, but soon became numb as the medicine started to work. The dog suddenly turned her head to Flippy. "You, get over here and help me." There was no scorn in her voice, yet it was firm and commanding. Flippy quickly got up and walked over. The dog picked up an ace bandage in her mouth and shoved it into Flippy's paws. "Wrap this around her arm. It's hard for me since I have no hands...like yours anyway. Us WarDogs walk on all four, but," She growled "don't mistake us for the dogs you keep as pets! We could tear their fur off in a heartbeat!"

She bared her fangs in a smile as she saw Flippy stare in horror at her. "Cheer up! I'm not going to eat you. I just need your help. And don't mind if I tend to get carried away." Alam sat down. "She may ramble on about some things, but Larka is the best healer we ever had. I've even seen her reattach a tail after a battle." Larka eyed Alam. "Don't flatter me, dog! You know as well as I do that reattaching a tail is impossible for WarDogs! We lack the paws of the Varg." Flippy didn't know what 'Varg' meant, but he figured it had something to do with him. "Um, what is a Varg, exactly?" Larka turned to Flippy. "A Varg, dear bear, is the term that we use for you anthro creatures. Since there really isn't a name for your overall kind, my kind just call you the Varg. Nobody really knows how the name came around, but everyone just excepts it."

She shook her head. "Listen to me, rambling on. Ryne, please extend your arm." Ryne did as she was told. Larka turned to Flippy. "Okay, wrap that around the wound." Flippy carefully started to wind the wrap around Ryne's wound. The pressure caused a slight pain, but Ryne didn't show it as she waited for Flippy to finish.

Ryne flexed her arm. "Wow, it's already feeling better. What did you use?" Larka's eyes sparkled. "That's my little secret." Ryne laughed slightly and thought, 'That's kinda weird...' Howling suddenly erupted from the top of the rim. Ryne looked up and saw Alam standing on the edge. Clouds had started rolling in, bring with them rumbles of thunder. A fork of lightning struck behind Alam, turning everything white for a second.

Ryne lifted her ears and looked at the sky. Fyre walked up to her, looking at the sky too. "Strange weather..." Ryne nodded, then locked her eyes on Alam as he started speaking. "Everyone! You know the reason we are here! To kill Akakabuto! His madness is spreading throughout the entire world! And we must stop him! Even though we are few, we are great! Daily, new fighters join us, making our numbers grow!"

Lightning struck again and Alam leapt, seemingly coming out of the strike. He prowled amongst the pack, then stopped as he reached Ryne. Gasps came from his pack as he lowered himself submissively. He laid his ears down and twisted his neck, exposing his throat to the Akita. Finally, he rolled his eyes, showing the whites. Ryne stared, startled at this display of submission. "Ryne," Alam said "I am eternally in your debt. From this day forward, we shall follow you as our leader. If you say fight, we fight. If you say live, we live. And, if you say die, we shall except our fate like true warriors and die."

Ryne looked up. All around the Bowl, all of the WarDogs were bowing low. There was another lightning strike. Thunder rumbled mightily, shaking the ground. Larka lifted her head up and howled. Soon, the cry was taken up everywhere. The night air was torn with howls and thunder and lightning.

**(Timeskip--5 day)**

Sarge pressed his back up against a tree. Blood was oozing from a wound on his cheek and his eye stung as sweat dripped into it. He held his gun close to him, his chest heaving as he sucked in air, trying to be silent. He cocked his good ear, listening for any signs of the enemy.

Suddenly, a huge clawed paw swung down, smashing into the tree where Sarge's head had been a fraction of a second ago. Sarge ran a few paces, then fired his gun at the bear. It was a large brown bear, but not as big or strong as Akakabuto. Still, it was strong enough. The bear roared in pain as the bullets ripped through its pelt. Enraged at the wounds, the bear charged the white Shepherd. Sarge jumped out of the way as the bear's head smashed against a tree, splintering it in half. The bear stood on its hind legs and shook its head. Its dark eyes cleared as it looked around the woods. Even though it couldn't see the dog, it could smell him. Slowly, the bear started stalking forward, knowing the dog couldn't get away now.

Sarge wiped blood from his face. When he had dodged, the claws had caught him in the face, slashing him and creating three long wounds across the left side of his face. Luckily, unlike the last time he received a wound like this, he didn't lose his only good eye. But, Sarge was getting worn out. He wasn't as young as he wished he could've been. Sarge's grip tightened on the gun as he prepared for the final assault. 'What will Ryne think when she learns I've been killed by a...?'

Suddenly, the night was cut through with snarls and the roar of a bear in pain. Sarge leapt up and looked around the tree. With her teeth latched between the bears eyes, Ryne fought savagely, using her knife to gore out the bears left eye as she sawed her fangs into his face. "Ryne?!" A flash of white came out of the dark woods. A white dog like creature latched her fangs into the bears back as several more dogs hurtled themselves into the fray.

There was a flash of white and a German Shepherd with a white bone muzzle sprang, sinking his long fangs into the bears other eye. The bear cried in pain and shook desperately, trying to dislodge its attackers even as more and more appeared. The German Shepherd with the mutilated face leapt off the bears face, landed lightly on a tree, then leapt back at the bear, burying his fangs into it's stomach. The force of the blow knocked the bear over. Instantly, the bears body disappeared under the seething mass of dogs. It screeched one last time, then went still.

The dogs moved off, leaving only the Shepherd and Ryne at the bear. The Shepherd had the bears entrails in his mouth, still shaking and tugging them savagely. Ryne tugged her knife from it's eye. She stare in interest a the eyeball that was impaled on it, then tugged it off and flicked it carelessly away. A brown dog leapt at the eye and ate it. Sarge held his stomach. "Eww..." A branch snapped behind him. Sarge whirled around, coming face to face with one of Akakabuto's black fur fighters. It's eyes were wide with shock as it looked down. Sarge also looked down. A bowie knife was sunk into his stomach and a light green paw was gripping the handle.

Sarge looked at Flippy, shuddering slightly. The bears eyes were a malicious shade of green and his face had a look of evil on it. Flippy slashed sideways, cutting open the enemy's belly. Its intestines spilled out as it fell to the ground. Flippy yanked the knife out and looked at the blood on the blade, laughing cruelly. Sarge stared at Flippy, this was not normal. "Flippy, are you ok?" Flippy closed his eyes and shook his head. When he opened them, they were back to normal. "Yes, I'm fine, really." Sarge turned his head and looked at Flippy with his good eye. "If you say so." Flippy had a slightly horrified look in his eyes, but it vanished quickly.

Sarge walked out. Ryne lifted her eyes. "Sarge. You look...horrible. What were you doing out? Shouldn't you be back at HQ?" Sarge wiped blood out of his eye. "Yeah, about that...There was this bear, see? And he was kinda close and I was afraid he was going to find our base, so I went out and lured him away." A cold nose pressed against a wound on his arm. Sarge jumped and moved away from the white dog. She narrowed her eyes. "Now stop that! I can fix your wounds, but not if you're jumping everywhere! Now stand still!"

Sarge blinked at the dog, which looked strangely like a wolf, as she sniffed his wounds. Within minutes, Sarge was patched up and Ryne was introducing him to Alam. Sarge scratched at his bandages, causing Larka to snarl at him. He smiled ruefully at her and stopped. "So, you are the Alam that Ryne and Fyre were talking about. Well, nice to me you." Alam's mutilated ears flinched slightly. "Yeah, sure. Anyway, where is your HQ? I highly doubt that it has enough room to fit my pack." Sarge was about to answer, when Alam resumed talking. "Anyway, that doesn't matter. We'll live on the outskirts and be your advanced guard." He turned to Ryne. "Well, shall we get going now?" Ryne nodded. "Yeah, Fyre. I want you to take the lead." Fyre flicked his tail in recognition, then started to walk, with the pack following.

Sarge stayed back with Ryne, watching them go. "It looks like you did good, Ryne." Ryne nodded, then she looked at Flippy. He was silent and staring. "Sarge, you go on ahead, Flippy and I will bring up the rear." Sarge noticed Flippy's strange silence and nodded to Ryne, then ran ahead.

Ryne padded over to Flippy. She nudged him gently with her shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?" He jumped slightly. "Oh, uh, nothing." "Don't think of me as stupid, Flippy. I know something's wrong." Flippy shook his head. "No, nothing's bothering me, really." Ryne's eyes still looked suspicious, but she didn't push the issue. "If you say so, even though I know that you're lying. You can tell me when you feel more comfortable. Come on."

Flippy sighed and looked to the west. Somewhere out there, lay Akakabuto's fortress. And, within its walls, Akakabuto sat, waiting for them and the slaughter that would come. Still, something else bothered the light green bear. A secret that he had kept from Ryne, even though it tortured him constantly.


	8. Dark Betrayal

**_Zs99: Argh! I'm sorry! I would've had this done a hour ago! I was proof-reading it, when one of my Wolf's Rain episodes finished downloading and I just had to watch it TT! Anyway, enjoy!_**

A young black bear made his way through the deep woods. He had been traveling from the east for about ten days, hoping to join Akakabuto's forces and, in the end, get a share of the glory. So far, he hadn't managed to kill anyone, but he was sure that would change when he was part of the army.

His nose twitched, picking out a strange scent that was hanging in the air. He stopped and lifted his head, sniffing deeply. Suddenly, a white blur zipped by him, slicing off his right ear. He reared up and roared in pain as blood splattered down the side of his face. He swung his muzzle around, his black eyes seeking out the creature that had been daring enough to wound him.

He spotted her. It was a white dog, but everything about her reminded him of a wolf. She snarled and turned, running quickly through the trees and bushes. The bear roared in rage and lunged, tearing up shrubs, grass, and bushes as he made after the insolent dog. He was sure that, if he killed her, it would reflect good on him.

After a minute, he had almost caught up to her. Larka could smell his disgusting breath as he bore down on her. She smiled slightly, knowing she could easily escape should the situation arise. Her long legs reached grace fully in front of her as she ran, her claws cutting furrows into the hard earth.

Up ahead was a bare patch of sandy ground. Larka looked at it, picking out areas that she could safely leap. Her hind legs bunched, then kicked out, launching Larka into the air. Gracefully, she landed on a patch of sand and leapt again.

The bear, on the other hand, knew nothing of the terrain, or the deadly trap that waited for him. For a second, the disguised branches held his weight, but, a fraction of a second later, he had fallen into the pit below with a confused bellow. He felt a sharp pain erupt in his chest. He lifted his head weakly and stared dumbly at the bloody stake that seemed to grow from his chest. He started to struggle, terrified at what had just happened, then he froze, staring at the rim of the pit.

Standing around it, were a horde of dogs. There were three of the Varg amongst them, but most were WarDogs. The bear's mouth opened in a silent scream as they leapt in. They had nothing to fear from the stakes, which were spaced far enough to ensure themselves a safe landing, but promised death to something as big as a bear.

A Shepherd with red stripes and a terribly mutilated face landed on his chest and sank his long canines into the bears throat. The bear tried to lift a paw and kill him, but they were both impaled. The dogs were now biting him hard, most of them concentrating on his stomach, trying to rip it open. There was a wet flash of fangs by his left eye and, with an eruption of pain, his vision left that side. He roared and twisted his head, his jaws snapping shut on the paw of the dog that took his eye. The dog yelp and sank his fangs into the bears nose.

There was a whistling noise and a flash of silver. A long bowie knife sunk into his right eye. He opened his mouth, releasing the dog, who limped back, snarling. Now, totally blind, the bear was completely at the mercy of his attackers which, unfortunately, were merciless.

The bear thrashed around as the dogs succeeded in tearing through his fur and were now ripping at his stomach. Unbelievable pain ripped through him. If he had eyes, the bear would've seen a red Akita leap from the rim into the hole. He felt the dogs move away, felt a rush of hope, then a weight landed on him. There was another pain as a blade sunk into the upper part of his stomach, then pulled down, sending blood spraying everywhere.

The dogs that gathered around the rim of the pit threw their heads back and howled in victory. It might be only a young bear, but it was still a bear. Ryne kept her paws wrapped around the knife handle as the dogs leapt back on the bear, each of them gripping something of the bears inside and pulled it out, tearing it savagely. The bear gasped and shuddered, then laid still.

Alam unlatched his fangs from the bears throat and looked at Ryne. The Shepherds startlingly cerulean blue eyes seemed to dance with a strange madness. "You can leave the rest of this to my pack." Ryne nodded, noting that most of the dogs were starting to devour the bear. Ryne leapt up and pulled herself up out of the pit. She turned and extended her paw, helping her brother out. He was covered in blood and his eyes had a wild look in them. They flicked back and forth as he mumbled something. 'He's always like this after a kill...' Ryne slapped her brother across the face. "Snap out of it, idiot!"

Fyre shook his head and blinked. He turned and looked at the bear, which was quickly disappearing. "I must've blacked out for a second. So we won." Ryne nodded then bent down to help Flippy out of the pit. He too was soaked in blood and had the bears heart in his other hand. Ryne frowned at him and grabbed the bloody organ, tossing it back into the pit. A gray dog saw in and leapt, grabbing it in his mouth.

"Flippy, I didn't give you permission to take organs out of the pit!" Ryne scolded jokingly. His eyes seemed vacant and slightly troubled. "I didn't know what I was doing...sorry..." Ryne whacked him across the head. "Oh, come on, I was just joking. Anyway, we need to be getting back to HQ now." Ryne started off, the other two quickly following her.

**(At HQ)**

KuroKaze peeked out of the concealed opening of the tree. He narrowed his eyes, trying to locate the source of the noise. A bloody face suddenly appeared, red eyes staring through the opening. KuroKaze screamed in fright and backed up, stumbling across the floor. The branches were moved away and Ryne came in and glared at him. "Stop that screaming now, you little idiot! Or I'll give you something to really scream about!"

Sarge's white head appeared from a bunk. "Well, if it isn't the murderer. Back from the kill I see. Was it anyone important?" Ryne wiped her face on a cloth as she answered. "No, just a young bear. I think he was heading towards Akakabuto's fort. So it was a good thing that we killed him!" Ryne swung the cloth around. "Oww!" She turned and gasped as she say Fyre standing directly behind her, holding his face. "Ryne! Watch were you swing that thing!!"

Ryne twirled it playfully. "Oh, what's wrong? Did the big bad Tora-ge get wounded from a silly little cloth?" At that same moment, Nova walked up to her, carrying a piece of paper. "Ryne, I have some-argh!" Ryne turned and saw that Nova was also holding his face. Ryne started backing farther into the base. "Oops, sorry Nova. It won't happen again." She slung the cloth over her shoulder. "Argh!"

Ryne looked over her shoulder. Sarge was holding his good eye. "How many of us do you plan to blind tonight?!" Ryne snarled at him. "I didn't plan to blind anyone, but if you want to press the issue," She took out one of her bowie knives "I can certainly oblige!" Sarge had heard the scrap of her knife and held his other paw up. "No, that won't be necessary." Ryne snorted and threw the cloth over her shoulder.

Flippy was coming in at that time. He was currently occupied with his thoughts and didn't see the blood streaked cloth coming at him. He looked up and was struck in the face. Everyone stood there, silent as Flippy just stood there with the cloth draped over his face. He reached up and removed the cloth and tossed it on a root, then continued on. Ryne cocked her head to the side. "Are you okay?"

He nodded absentmindedly and started to walk passed her. Ryne shook her head and grabbed his jacket collar and started to walk towards the entrance, dragging Flippy along with her. "Ryne! What are you doing?!"

Ryne stared down at him. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm dragging you." "What?! No, what do you want?!" Ryne started to exit, still dragging him and said simply. "Answers." Flippy seemed to know what she meant, because he dug his claws into the bark of the hole. "No! Don't make me!" Ryne was jerked to a halt. She glared at him as she grabbed his jacket with both paws. "Damn you, let go!" Flippy's paws felt numb as he continued to grip the bark. "Argh! Let me go!"

He opened his eyes and stared in horror. Fyre was standing there with a long knife. He lifted it above his head and swung. Flippy quickly let go, a second before the blade stabbed into the wood were his paws had been. Fyre reached for the covering, then paused, saying, "Go and talk. It'll do your moppy ass some good." He pulled the branches down.

**(Timeskip--10 minutes)**

Ryne looked around. They were now outside of the outer guard. Ryne now turned to Flippy, her tail twitching and flicking agitatedly. "Now, what is this all about? Why have you been acting all weird?" Flippy looked up at the night sky. "It's nothing." "Cut the crap, Flippy!" He looked at her. Her eyes were now slitted. "I know as well as anyone that something is eating you up inside!" Ryne's eyes softened. "It'll kill you, you know...holding it all in."

He turned to look at the stars again, then sighed. "Well, I promised myself I wouldn't let it bother me, but-" Flippy was interrupted as a black form crashed through the bushes. Ryne and Flippy whipped out their knives and were about to attack, when they recognized the flame red tail. "KuroKaze, what are you doing here?!" Ryne could tell that the cat had been running hard. His thin chest lifted and fell as he blabbered something unintelligent.

Ryne grabbed the cat by his shoulders and shook him, a strange panic rising within her. 'Please don't let that be what he said...!' "Kuro! Snap out of it and tell me what happened!" The black cat sat down, gasping for breath. After a moment, he came around and spoke. "This happened just after you left. There was something happening in the west. One of Alam's dogs reported that a large black bear had been spotted. The dog said he thought he had only one arm, so Fyre went out to check on it. Time went by and Fyre hadn't come back, when Alam arrived and said...that..." He paused. Ryne's claws dug grooves into the ground. "That what?!"

He paused for a second more, then replied quietly. "...that Fyre had been captured..." Ryne dropped flat on her tail. Fyre? Captured?! That was absurd! "You must've been mistaken! Fyre wouldn't...!" She leapt up and sped off, tearing up anything in her haste to get back.

**(Back at HQ)**

Alam was standing before Sarge, talking softly, when Ryne surged through the entrance, completely shredding the branches. Her face was cut from her mad dash through the trees and she was panting heavily. Everyone stayed back, sensing that she was in a murderous mood.

"Alam, what happened!?" Alam sat down and relayed to her everything that his dog had told him. "Ryne, it WAS Mosa...and that explains how Fyre got captured. What that bear lacks in strength, he more than makes up for in cunning..." Ryne didn't seem to be listening. She had taken out her knives and started stabbing them into the wall again and again. "Damn Mosa! Damn Akakabuto!! I'll kill them! Kill them all!!"

She raged for over an hour. She lifted her blade to stab again, then sank to the ground, fully drained of energy. The wall was now shredded and bark littered the ground. Alam took a few steps forward, then padded over to Ryne. Her eyes were closed but tears leaked from under them. Alam turned his mutilated face to Sarge. "She's asleep. Help me get her to her hammock."

Carefully, the two Shepherds carried their leader and laid her down. Sarge covered her with a blanket, then walked off, sitting against a wall. "I...just can't believe it...Fyre is the joint leader, one of the tops, how could he...?" Alam collapsed, laying his head wearily on his paws. "I told you, it was Mosa. He purposely revealed himself to try and lure one of us out. Unfortunately, it worked...what will happen to Ryne now?" Sarge shook his head. "I don't know, Fyre was the only family she had left and, despite their occasional fights, they were very close..."

They went on talking, unaware of a form outside, who was listening closely. "Where did it happen, Alam?" "Just to the west, one of my scouts tracked them." "Them?" "Yes it was a group. He says they made camp a few miles from here. How they managed to get that far in only ten minutes, only God knows." "Strange..." Sarge whispered. "Mosa never travels with a group..."

Flippy started running to the west, hopping to be able to catch up. His intentions were dark, which surprised himself.

**(Timeskip--Dawn)**

Fyre's eyes opened. His head hurt terribly and he was unbelievably weak. "What...the...?" A whip suddenly slashed him viciously. "Shut up, you stupid dog, or I'll flay your mangy hide to rags!!" Fyre's eye turned and glared up at a jet black skunk. The white stripe had been darkened by coal, proving that he was one of Akakabuto's followers. Fyre desperately wanted to latch his fangs into the bastards throat and tear the life from him, but his body wouldn't respond to any of his commands.

"So, the Varg's wake." The word Varg grated through Fyre's ears. He looked from the skunk to the creature who had just spoke. At first, Fyre thought he was looking at Alam, but the face was different. For one, his muzzle wasn't fleshless. Scars ripped across his face as he stared down at Fyre, his green eyes had a mad look in them.

The Shepherd lifted a forepaw. Fyre stared in horror at it: the claws were very long and serrated. Fyre narrowed his eyes as one of the claws cruelly stabbed into his cheek. "So, it looks like we caught ourselves an Akita, eh? And a Tora-ge to boot!" Fyre felt blood swell up on his cheek. "Mosa..." The dog threw his head back and laughed. It was a harsh, savagely grating sound. "Mosa?! You fell for it then! That bear was never here! It was a trick!!"

The rest of the dogs took up their leaders laugher, knowing that their lives depended on it. The crazed Shepherd stopped suddenly. The laugh instantly ceased. "Anyway, it doesn't matter! Akakabuto will love to have you. Of course, we'll have to torture you first. You know, to get any info out of you, since Akakabuto might just kill you once he looks at you!"

"Leader!" A dark blue dog came running out of the woods. The Shepherd turned towards him. "Corporal! What do you want?" The dog crouched low in submission and, when the Shepherd nodded, stood up and whispered something in his leaders ear. The dog lifted his head and looked towards the woods, then back to his follower. "Fine. Go and get him." The dog ran off, returning a moment later.

Fyre felt confusion squirm in his stomach. Standing before them, was Flippy. "Flippy?! What the hell are you doing here?!" Flippy stared haughtily at the Tora-ge. "Joining the winning side, of course!" Fyre just stared for a second, fury slowly creeping over his features. "You...bastard!"

A sudden surge of energy shot though Fyre and he staggered up. Every hair on his body stood up. "How could you betray Ryne!?" Fyre's eyes grew angrier. "Never mind, I knew all along I couldn't trust you..." The Shepherd looked from one to the other, a look of delight on his brutal face. "So, you know each other. How..." He searched for the word "...delightful."

Fyre felt his old resentment rise up and he launched himself at Flippy. Flippy dodged back and brought out a knife. Before Fyre had landed on Flippy, several dogs leapt at him. The Akita was brought to the ground. A dog sank his fangs into Fyre's arm, only to have his head smashed against one of his comrades who was biting Fyre's other arm. Fyre grabbed another dog and, pulling out one of his hidden knives, plunged the blade into its throat. It shuddered and laid still. Fyre only had time to kill a few more, when the dogs finally pinned him to the ground.

Fyre glared out of the mass at Flippy. "So, Flippy, eh? I'm Viktor, the leader of this horde. Tell me. What made you change sides?" Flippy looked at Fyre. Several of the dogs had moved out of the way to allow Fyre's head to stick out. "He always thought of me as vermin. When he attacked me, I knew I couldn't stay any longer. It was at that moment that I realized that I didn't belong to that side. I might be a Varg, but I'm still a bear!" Viktor laughed cruelly. "Really? Fine, but, to prove your loyalty..."

Viktor's ears flicked at the knife Flippy was holding. "...kill him. We don't need two with information." Flippy nodded them walked over to Fyre. Flippy stared at his former leader, then started to raise the knife. Fyre's head was laying on the ground, panting, his eyes glowing pridefully. "This is what you really want, eh? Well, then go ahead and kill me, you disgusting piece of-!"

The knife flashed. Just before it hit, Flippy had reversed his grip on it. The handle thudded between Fyre's ears, knocking him into unconsciousness again. The dogs moved away from his limp body, allowing Viktor to examine him. He dug his claws into Fyre's side, then turned to Flippy. "Why did you do that? I told you to kill him." Flippy sheathed the knife. "He's the leader." Gasps and whispering were heard throughout the horde. Viktor raked his claws against the ground. He whirled around, snarling and snapping at thin air. "The leader..." Flippy nodded. "Yes. If I killed him, you would never be able to get the information you need. Information that only he knows. Plus, if you bring a leader to Akakabuto, then I should think he'll reward you handsomely."

Viktor nodded, mostly to himself, then he started laughing again. "Hahahaha! Yes, that's it! I like the way you think, Flippy! You!" A brown dog jumped and lowered himself to the ground. "Yes, leader?" Viktor flicked his head at Fyre. "Put him in the prison cave. We'll torture him tomorrow. Flippy," Viktor faced Flippy. "you can find somewhere to rest and get something to eat. We owe a lot to you, you know, and it's only fair that you can take it easy on the first night. The rest of you! Get back to your duties, now!!"

The dogs scattered, shoving each other in their attempt to get away. Viktor stalked off, whispering, "Oh, yes, we'll torture him alright." Flippy's eyes flashed as thought after thought passed through his mind as he walked away. A pair of black eyes watched him go from the tree line. Crow had seen all she need and she whipped around, heading back to the base.


	9. Escape and Capture

**_Zs99: Chapter 9 of AWOL! ... I really don't have anything to say here, besides enjoy! Oh, and a massive thanks to Adderstar for reviewing each chapter...not to mention everyone else who also reviewed!_**

Ryne sat with her back against the wall as she listened to Crow. Flippy? Betray? Sarge had a thoughtful look on his face. "Who'd have thought he would do that." Alam was pacing restlessly. He licked his fangs, then questioned Crow. "You said that this group is lead by a Shepherd, correct?" Crow nodded. "Then, did you happen to hear his name?"

Crow closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, I was too far away to hear anything." Alam growled and continued pacing. Ryne was staring at the floor, turning everything over in her mind. There was no way to fully verify anything, except for the word of Crow. Had Flippy REALLY switched sides? 'No' She though 'he wouldn't do that...what is the motive behind this madness...?'

Alam stopped pacing and looked at Ryne as she stood up. "Alam...come with me." The Shepherd watched her walk to the exit, then followed.

He saw that Ryne was running in the direction of the dying sun. Alam caught up with her, his breath whistling wetly as he panted. "What are you doing Ryne?" Ryne stopped and looked around. "I'm going to check it out myself." Alam shook himself. "And why did you bring me?" Ryne started running again, shouting back over her shoulder. "Didn't you want to find out who that dog is?" Alam ran his tongue over his fangs and snarled. "Of course!" Ryne had vanished, but her voice carried back to him. "Then come on!" Alam snorted, then continued.

**(Timeskip--1 hour)**

Ryne's red eyes peered out of a screen of leaves as she survey the enemy camp. A few of them were Varg, but most were dogs. There was a large fire in the middle of the camp. Most of the dogs were crowded around it, tearing at hunks of meat. A silver dog lifted his head and sniffed. For a second, Ryne thought he had smelled them, but was relieved when he got up and walked over to a piece of meat.

There was a savage snarl and another dog near the meat leapt at the other dog, his fangs flashing in the firelight as they impaled themselves into the silver dogs head. The dog yelp and ran a few yards from the fire, with the other dog snapping angrily at his tail. The silver dog tripped and tumbled, landing on his back. The attacking dog stood over the other, his legs stiff, his hackles raised, ears raised, tail held vertical to his spine, and his lips pulled back in a snarl.

Alam suddenly tried to surge forward, a savage snarl curling from his chest. Ryne grabbed the enraged Shepherd around the neck and forcefully pulled him back. The dog down near the fire thought that the silver dog had snarled and proceeded to bite his ear off. Ryne's eyes were slitted and mad as she confronted Alam. "What the hell was that!?" She growled softly. "You could've given our cover away!" Alam quieted down slightly and went to look back through the leaves. The dog had left the silver one to writhe in pain on the ground, plopping back down near the fire.

"That dog, the one that just attacked the silver one, that's Viktor...he's a true traitor! I've sworn to kill him!" Ryne looked out too and watched Viktor. He gnawed on the meat, then lifted his head and barked something at someone. Ryne felt her insides squirm as she recognized Flippy. The green bear stood up and walked over to the edge of the woods, said something to the dog out there, then stood watching. "He's on guard. Come on." Ryne started to creep away, when Alam's fangs grabbed her tail. She turned her head and stared at him. "What?" "Do you even know what you're doing?! He's the enemy now!"

Ryne pulled her tail from his mouth. "You don't really know that. Stay here if you want, but I'm going to see him." Alam knew he could do nothing to stop her as he padded after her. 'I can't stop her, but I can make sure she stays safe.' His claws scrapped the ground, knowing what he was prepared to do in order to protect Ryne.

Flippy sat on a log, keeping watch. A sudden movement caused him to stand up, his knife out. A dog came out of the darkness. Flippy, at first, thought it was one of Viktor's followers, but then he saw the mutilated muzzle. He backed up slightly. "Alam, what do you want?" Alam opened his mouth, strings of spit extending from his upper to lower jaws. "I want nothing from you. But someone else does..." He turned his head and looked into the woods.

Flippy blinked as Ryne stepped out of the woods. She continued walking until she was a few paces away from him. "Ryne, why are you here?" "I should ask the same thing, what are you doing here?" Flippy looked to the side and wouldn't meet her gaze. "I'm a bear, I belong on this side." Ryne shook her head. "No you don't. You have a better heart than any of them. You belong with us..."

"No, I don't! Now, get away from here or I'll kill you!" Ryne moved back slightly, but stayed still. Flippy growled dangerously. "You think I'm joking! Get going!" He leapt at Ryne. Alam rushed forward, pushing his body between the two, and received a slash across his shoulder. Flippy back off, his knife bloody, as Alam snapped his long fangs at him. "Alam, no. I understand now. Flippy," He looked up. Ryne's eyes were calm but there seemed to be a hidden confusion deep in them. "take this."

She reached behind her and pulled off her golden tail ring. Her tail, without the added weight, curled up like a normal Akita's tail. She tossed it to him and he caught it. She turned and started to leave, pausing only to say one last thing. "See you on the killing field." Then disappeared. Alam started to back away into the shadows. "Tell Viktor, that an old friend is here...and I'll get my revenge!" Alam whipped around and vanished with Ryne. Flippy looked at the tail ring, then the bloodied knife and paw, sighing regretfully.

Alam walked beside Ryne as they made their way back. "So, did you find out what you went out to discover?" Ryne shook her head. "No, but I don't think he betrayed us." Alam gapped at her. "How can you even say that?!" He turned and licked at his wound. "It surprised me that he wounded you, but I don't think he meant that. You were in the way and I don't think he knew you would put yourself between him and I."

Alam grunted. "Still, how do you know that?" "Alam, I look deeper than you or Fyre can."

The moon came over the mountains.

"And..."

A shadow descended across the prison cave.

"...I didn't see a hint of malice in his gaze."

**...**

The black skunk, who had whipped Fyre earlier, looked up from his duty as guard at the prison cave. Flippy was walking towards him. "Oh, a shift change?" Moonlight shimmered on a blade as it swung towards him. His body remained standing even as his head hit the ground. Fyre, who was laying on his side, opened his eyes as soon as he heard a thud. Flippy was standing before his. A snarled started, then froze. Fyre spied the dead body and the bloodied knife.

Flippy bent down and put one of Fyre's arms over his shoulder. At first, Fyre started to snarl, but Flippy motioned for silence. Fyre's eyes seemed to still hold some resentment and suspicion, but he stood shakily on his legs, leaning on Flippy for support. "Come on, Fyre. Let's get you back." Flippy half stumbled, half walked to the exit and looked out. The dogs were still sitting around the fire and there would be no one on guard. After a seconds hesitation, Flippy moved out, with Fyre limping by his side.

**(Timeskip--15 minutes)**

Fyre sat with his back against a tree, wrapping a strip of cloth around his leg. Flippy was leaning against another tree, breathing heavily from their mad dash through the woods. Fyre stood up slowly and put some pressure on his leg. There was a slight pain, but is was bearable. "We should get going, before they notice we're gone."

As if to answer him, a howl was heard. 'If they tracked us, they'll be at this spot in less that 5 minutes.' "Flippy, we have to go, now!" Flippy nodded, standing up straight and walking over to Fyre. Fyre waved him off as he tried to help him. "No, I'm fine, let's just get moving." Fyre limped off, some of his energy returning. Flippy looked back at their tracks. It was very clear which way they went.

Fyre stopped moving when he noticed that Flippy wasn't with him. He turned and saw the green bear facing the way they had come. The sound of Viktor's pack tracking them was getting closer. "Come on!" When Flippy didn't move, Fyre growled and limped back to him. He grabbed the bears jacket and spun him around. "Get moving now, bear! Do you want them to catch you?!" Flippy just shook his head. "They'd catch us even if we never took a break. They can run faster than us, especially you, in your wounded state."

Fyre narrowed his eyes and flicked his tail. "Then what are you gonna do? Stay here and become a POW (Prisoner of War)?!" Flippy shook his head again. "No, you'll run back to the base and...I'll stay here and keep them busy." Fyre blinked and snorted. "You stay here and keep them busy?! That's just stupid! They'll kill you!" Flippy turned and face the enemy. They were very close now. "Fyre, this is no time to worry about anything like that. There's a stream just over there." Flippy lifted an arm and pointed to the left. "If I'm right, it should run directly to the river that runs by the base. It should flow slowly, so you can wade in it until you reach the bigger river. They'll lose your scent that way. Now, please go, and tell Ryne I'm sorry for tricking her."

Fyre stayed quiet for a moment, then sighed and limped off. He stopped suddenly and turned to look at Flippy. "Fine, I'll tell her. And I want you to...forgive me, for what I said about you. I was wrong." The Akita and the bear, two swore enemies, stared at each other. Flippy nodded, "I forgive you, even though it worked out good for my little scheme." Fyre rolled his eyes and turned, limping rapidly into the darkness. Flippy turned, feeling the strange energy rising up in him and excitement pound through his veins.

A second later, the enemy erupted through the bushes. The dogs skidded to a halt and hesitated, looking around in confusion. There was no one there. Viktor stood at the head of the group, surveying the area. He lowered his head and sniffed the ground. Flippy's scent was strong here. 'That damned bear, I'll kill him!' Viktor lifted his head slightly in confusion, then sniffed again. There was a strange familiar scent lingering on the ground, but it had long gone stale.

Viktor shook his head and looked up. There be time for that later, but now, his only thought was to find Flippy. He didn't care about the Tora-ge at the moment, he was probably just a follower anyway. Viktor wanted Flippy, the only creature who dared to trick him. A dog at the back of the pack sniffed and walked a few paces away from the group. With a yelp, he felt the ground give way.

Viktor whipped around and saw the dogs tail vanish. One of the dogs companions edged over to the pit and looked in, quickly backing up after seeing his friend impaled on several sharp branches below. The dog lowered himself to the group, whimpering to another dog. "How'd he get the time to do that?! We'll all die if..." He didn't finish. Viktor leapt at him and grabbed him by the scruff. The Shepherd reared up on his hind legs and threw his follower into the pit. The dogs yelp was cut off as slices were heard and he was impaled too.

Fyre paused and looked back, then he sighed and continued on.

Viktor whirled on the other dogs. "And that goes for the rest of you! Fear is weakness and weakness is death! If you show fear again, I'll personally kill you!! Understand?!" All of them barked out, "Yes, leader!!" Viktor snorted and wheeled around, sniffing. Truth be told, he didn't smell Flippy, but he had to act like he did. He faced a random direction and barreled off. "This way!" His followers followed quickly, each of them fearing to be the one to bring up the rear. Up in a tree, Flippy sat. He smiled evilly as he watched them running. He took out a knife, tested its edge, and gave an evil chuckle. The night was young and there were so many to kill.

**(Timeskip--1 hour)**

Viktor stopped running and looked around. He had run into a dead end and now they would have to back track. While he was running, the Shepherd had heard several yelps from his group, but he never once stopped to see what the matter was. Now, as he stared at his followers, he noticed that he was missing several of his group members. He growled and prowled through the pack, looking for any signs of fear.

He reached the end and started running. Viktor listened to the pawsteps of his followers as they ran after him. As he ran, Viktor saw another pit. From the scent of blood, he didn't need to look into it to know that it contained the body of a follower. 'To bad he's the enemy, he'd make a fine soldier...'

The group reached the area where Flippy and Fyre had parted. Viktor sniffed around a bit, then snarled. "Fine, forget Flippy! We'll just go after the Tora-ge!" Viktor started walking, then stopped. Standing before them, was Flippy. Blood splattered his paws and jacket and his knife was smeared in the red substance.

Viktor's hackles rose and he stalked stiff-legged towards the bear, his lips curled up in a snarl. "So, I found you..." Flippy laughed harshly. "Found me?! No, I revealed myself to you! And, you know what? You won't walk a step beyond here!" With a snarl, Viktor leapt. Flippy moved to the side and swiped at Viktor with the blade. Unfortunately, Viktor moved quickly and evaded the attack. Viktor licked his fangs and smiled. "Not bad, Flippy."

Flippy stayed quiet as he kept his eyes on Viktor. The dog had started circling him until his back was facing the other dogs. "There's a thing about dogs that you should know...do you want me to tell you what that is?" Flippy still didn't answer. "We dogs always hunt in packs." Viktor nodded. Too late did Flippy realize what Viktor had done. He ducked, allowing a dog to sail over him. One came around from the side and snapped it's fangs into Flippy's arm. Flippy swung around with his knife, plunging the blade into its forehead.

Upon seeing the knife impaling the dog, the others leapt, striving to bury their fangs into Flippy. He disappeared underneath the heap. Suddenly, the dogs flew back and Flippy was standing. Blood splattered from several wounds as he snapped the neck of another dog, flinging its body into the face of its friends. The dogs backed off. Flippy stood in the middle of the circle, his teeth bared in a snarl. "Come on! Fight me, you bastards!!" They stayed back. "What?! Are you afraid of me?! Ha! You bunch of cowards! Viktor! You'll fight me!" He looked around and, to his surprise, Viktor was nowhere to be found.

"Up here, you monster!" Flippy looked up, only to receive twin blows from both of Viktor's forepaws. They landed on his skull and knocked Flippy senseless. The dogs started to gather around him, eagerly trying to tear some part of him. A black and white speckled dog sank his teeth into Flippy's paws. Viktor leapt at him, his serrated claws slashing the dog open. Its blood spilled onto the ground as it died. The rest fell back, yelping as blood washed over their paws. Viktor stood up straight, his chest swelling with pride. He flicked his paws, splashing blood over the ground. "I've changed my mind about killing him. We'll take him with us and torture him instead! He might not be the leader, but I'm sure he has some very valuable information for us!"

His head flew back, a wild, absolutely mad howl tearing through the still night air. The rest took up the call until the howl carried across the mountain. Fyre stopped and turned, listening to the howl. He had heard that type of howl several times after a battle. Victory. He shook his head and picked up speed as he followed the raging stream back to HQ.


	10. The Plan :: Saving Sgt Flippy Pt 1 ::

**_Zs99: This chapter is kinda short, but I had to have it like this so I could cleanly start my next chapter. Oh, and I finally got Handy in, to all of you who wondered where he got to._**

Nova watched from the cover of the tree that served as the base of the Suicide Corps. He peered around, his vision illuminated in different shades of green, looking for any sign of the enemy. His head suddenly tipped forward with a snore, the jerked back up. "Wha-I'm awake!" The copper dog looked around, realizing that he had fallen asleep, then lifted his goggles and rubbed his eyes.

Movement in the bushes alerted him. He aimed his gun, which was with him at all times, at them, his finger on the trigger. The form that emerged looked oddly familiar, then it hit him...

"Handy!" The orange beaver jumped and looked up, screwing up his face as he tried to peer through the shadows. Nova leapt down from his branch and walked over to him. Handy, relieved to see someone familiar, dashed forward, but Nova signaled him to stop, then pointed at the ground.

There was the slight outline of a noose. "This whole area's booby trapped. One paw out of place and you could be dead. Come on, you have to see Ryne." Nova started walking, then turned to see Handy still frozen to the spot. "Oh, come on, just step in my footsteps and you'll be okay." Handy gulped and carefully followed Nova.

Ryne was sitting at a table, carefully studying a large map. To the untrained eye, it was just a jumble of lines, numbers, and dots. Still, even though she was trained, Ryne could barely make out anything, barely. 'He went overboard with the map again. I'll have to talk to him about this...' "Ryne, look who I found." Ryne jerked up, hoping to see either her brother or Flippy. Instead, it was an orange beaver that stood beside Nova.

Ryne perked an eyebrow. "...Handy, right? What happened to you?" He seemed mad as he replied. "You guys left me! I woke up and everyone was missing! I only just managed to find you!" Ryne raised a paw. "Wait, how did you find us!?" Handy shrugged. "By sheer luck! I've been stumbling around these woods ever for a while! I was able to get a lift here, but the dog took off before I could ask about where anything was!" Ryne shook her head and looked back to the map.

"Well, at least you're not dead. Go and see Sarge about where you can sleep." "But, I don't have anything! My backpack was missing too!" Ryne turned to Nova. "Now that I think of it, there was an extra pack, wasn't there?" Nova thought, then nodded. "Well, there you go. Now, go see Sarge." Handy huffed and disappeared through the path.

A few moments went by. Ryne was almost finished deciphering the map. 'Yes...' She drew a line from their base. 'Almost there...'

Suddenly, there was a loud shout. "Ryne!!" Her paw jerked, drawing a zigzag line across the map. She growled and stood up, drawing a knife. Handy appeared from around the corner and Ryne let the blade fly. Handy stood stock still, the two halves of his camouflaged helmet falling to his sides as the bowie knife quivered in the wall. A bead of sweat snaked its way down his face. "Holy crap..."

Ryne took her other knife out and started toying with it, a dangerous look in her eyes. "What the hell is important enough to interrupt me while I'm working?!" She snatched up the map and shook it in his face. "Do you want to follow the zigzagging line and see if Akakabuto's stronghold is anywhere on it?!" Handy knew that his life was possibly in danger and moved away, hiding himself behind a root which failed miserably to hid him. Ryne aimed at him. "Now, what is it that you are so desperate to know?!" The question caught her off guard. "Where's Flippy?!"

Ryne stared at him. Even though she doubted whether Flippy really deserted, she still had those thoughts that kept trying to convince her otherwise. "He's..." Handy gasped. "He's not dead is he?!" Ryne shook her head. "Let me finish. He joined the other side." One of Handy's eyes twitched. "What?! That's impossible! He would never do something like that!" "You're right, beaver, he would never do that..."

Ryne shivered, then turned her head. 'That voice...' It had come from through the hole, somewhere out in the dark night. From the entrance, a silver form fell through the branches. Ryne caught a flash of Tora-ge fur in the light as she rushed over to Fyre. "Fyre! You're alive! How'd you get away?!"

Through the night, Fyre explained to the Death Squad what had transpired in the enemy camp. Alam laid the stumps of his ears back. He was glad that Ryne had stopped him from killing Flippy. 'If I had killed him, Fyre wouldn't be here now. Still, that was good thinking and trickery on his part...' Alam switched his attention from his thoughts to Fyre. The Akita was finishing up his story. Ryne looked out the hole. "So, where is Flippy?" Fyre sighed. "I was just getting to that part. We split up a little while after we escaped. I heard a few yelps, but I don't know what happened..."

Suddenly, a black shape hurtled himself through the entrance. "Ryne! I've got some news!" Sarge narrowed his eyes at the young cat as KuroKaze gasped for breath. "What were you doing out? It's dangerous for some without experience!" Kuro lifted his head and, even though Sarge asked the question, looked at Ryne and answered. "I'm sorry! But, I've been living on my own for longer than you know, so I think I can take care of myself! Anyway, Fyre might've escaped, but now they've got Flippy! I watched as they drug him away, but there was nothing I could do! If I could've I would've-!"

Ryne's tail flicked angrily, silencing the cat. "At least he's alive...Okay, Alam," The Shepherd lifted his head from his paws. "Kuro," The cat's fur fluffed out. 'Finally' He thought 'I'll be included in something!' "and Crow." The Akita stood up from a dark corner. "The three of us will follow Viktor's group and do what we must to save Flippy. I own him a lot, especially since he rescued my brother."

Handy leapt out from behind the root. "Please, let me go! Flippy and I are friends and I want to help!" He wilted slightly as Ryne red gaze bore into him. Ryne nodded, much to Handy's relief. "Fine. Come if you must. Just follow either mine or Alam's orders. I can't guarantee that you'll come back alive though." Handy seemed a bit nervous, but he nodded. "Sure, I knew that ever since I joined the army."

Ryne walked over to her hammock and pulled out a long tube-like case and looped the strap over her shoulder. KuroKaze looked at it curiously as Ryne looked around for something else. "What's that, Ryne?" Ryne pulled out her quiver of arrows and put them over her other shoulder. "My bow. A gun makes to much noise in a situation like this. Are the rest of you ready?"

They nodded. "Good, Sarge, you're in charge until I get back. Take care of Fyre, will ya?" She vanished through the hole as Fyre shouted. "I'm not a child! I can take care of myself!" He struggled up and limped a few paces them stumbled. Sarge caught him and helped him over to a separate cave in the back. "You're gonna have to take it easy for a while, well, at least until Larka says you can fight again." The white dog poked her head out of the cave. "Who said my name? What do you-? Oh, Fyre, you're back. Well, you look like you went through hell in a handbag. Come in, I'll heal you. You don't even know how many..." Fyre groaned inwardly as Larka started to talk, knowing that it might never end.

**(Timeskip--30 minutes)**

"You know. I really didn't want to do guard duty. Not after what happened. Who knows what's out there, just waiting." A jet black dog whispered to his companion, a rusty colored collie. The collie turned her head. "Stop talking like that! Don't you remember what happened to Fang? He got thrown into the pit when he showed fear. Viktor's spies are everywhere, and THEY'RE just waiting for you to slip up. So, shut up and keep your eyes and ears peeled." The black dog sat up straighter, yet a weariness smoldered in his eyes. "Maybe I'll leave...there has to be someplace away from the war out there..."

The collie snorted. "Give me a break! Even if you escaped, Viktor would just come after you..." She went silent. She shared the same thought at one time. But that was before Viktor had her brother killed for trying to leave.

She pulled in a breath, and that was when she caught the scent. It was the scent of a German Shepherd. She and her friend immediately straightened up, frightened that it was Viktor or even Bozlef, his younger brother. Instead, they saw a sight that frightened them even greater. Out of the woods came a large Shepherd, he seemed to be even bigger than Viktor, but maybe that effect was brought on by fear. The wind picked up, the leaves rustled and the tree moaned.

Alam started to snarl, his mutilated face a terrifying mask of brutality in the moonlight. The two dogs went ridged, then ran, not for their comrades, but towards the woods. Ryne signaled to let them pass, they were too scared to be of any threat. 'They must be young or new at this...' She held her bow up, an arrow set to it, as she waited for Kuro to get back.

In a flash of fur, KuroKaze landed on the branch, causing some of the red leaves to fall. "They're keeping him chained up between two stakes on the outskirts of the camp. There're three guards around him, but they look either drunk or very sleepy, cuz they keep nodding off." Ryne nodded as he finished. "Good, is everyone in position?" Kuro's head bobbed in the night, shaking the branch and leaves slightly.

Ryne silently dropped to the ground. Alam was waiting in the bushes, emerging when he saw Ryne. "What news?" "He's being kept on the far side. Guards are drunk or sleepy. Should be an easy kill, right?" The Shepherd was silent. "I wouldn't put it pass Viktor to have a sniper in the trees near that area." A soft voice crept over them. "No need to worry about that. I've already killed him." Crow appeared from the shadows, a bloody knife in her paw.

Alam snorted. "See? What'd I tell you?" "I never said you were wrong, Alam. Okay. Alam, follow me. Crow, meet up with Handy and swing wide around the left perimeter. We'll meet you by the far side."

Kuro's tail stuck up in indignation. "Hey, what about me?!" Alam turned towards him and glared. "You're too young. You were lucky that Ryne even let you come along in the first place! Be grateful, runt!" Kuro's ears went back. "Fine, I'll stay here. But I won't like it." "Nobody asked you to." Crow replied coolly. KuroKaze glared at her, then climbed up a tree, watching the camp.

Now, if everyone is ready, let's go." Crow melted into the background as Ryne and Alam swiftly made their way to the back. Overhead, clouds covered the moon and a massive clap of thunder shook the land.


	11. Rescued :: Saving Sgt Flippy Pt 2 ::

**_Zs99: This chapter, like the last, is kinda short. But, it is part 2 of the last one. Anyway, enjoy._**

Flippy's head jerked up at the crash of thunder. Above him, the stars were blotted out by a layer of storm clouds. 'The only thing this storm promised was a chance at a decent mouthful of water.' Flippy thought as a drop of rain splattered on his cheek. 'Ryne...' The night he last saw her, he had to drive her off, which was killing him at the moment. But, back then, Alam was the one that would've done the killing.

'Even if she thought I was an enemy, she kept Alam from killing me...' One of the guards shook his head and, stifling a yawn, nudged his companion into wakefulness. "Hey, wake up." The Varg, a black hedgehog with a whip wrapped around his shoulder, blinked awake and stretched. "What?" Suddenly, the rain started falling hard.

The first guard, a light brown dog, shook his head and sat miserably in the rain. "This sucks. Why'd we have to be on guard duty tonight?!" The hedgehog snorted. "Because Viktor ordered us to. We can't go against his word, or he'll have us kill...or worse..." He turned and looked at Flippy, who had his head leaned back, catching water in his mouth. "Hey, you! Stop that!" The whip cracked close to Flippy's head, but he just kept his head back. "Why you...!"

The hedgehog ran behind him and raised the whip high, striking him on the back. Flippy swallowed the water and opened his mouth again, completely ignoring the blows. The hedgehog's neck veins bulged angrily as he flogged away at him.

After several minutes, the hedgehog stood panting, the whip held limply. Flippy swallowed again, opening his mouth a third time. The hedgehog was about to hit him again, but decided it wouldn't help and went to sit back by the brown dog.

"I could've told you that wouldn't have worked. This isn't the first watch I've been on and that wasn't the first time he's ignored a whip. It's like he doesn't even feel it or something. Only Viktor seemed to have any luck in makin' him flinch..."

A flash of lightning illuminated the area, causing the dog to jump up, his neck fur standing up and his fangs bared. The hedgehog looked in the direction he was facing. "What?!"

Another flash of lightning lit the area and the dog sat back down again. "What was it?" The hedgehog asked again. The dog shook his head slightly. "Nothing...I just thought I saw a dog sitting in the branches of that tree...but the next moment, there was nothing there..."

A soft chuckling behind them sent a shiver down their spines. The hedgehog turned around to see Flippy staring at the area where the dog had seen the shape. The hedgehog walked over to him and raised a branch. If the whip didn't work, then this must! "Shut up! What are laughing at?!" Flippy turned his green eyes towards him. "You...you're gonna die." The hedgehog's eyes bulged angrily as he swung the branch.

A bolt of lightning lit up the area again and the branch hit the ground. The hedgehog stood there, staring dumbly ahead. The arrow had gone in and out of the hedgehog's head, killing him instantly. He collapsed with a thud. The brown dog leapt up and was about to run, when Alam streaked out of the woods, barreling into him. The dog struggled vainly as Alam's fangs found his neck, silencing his cries. Blood welled into his mouth as Alam shredded his throat, leaving him dead.

Ryne ran silently across the ground and up to Flippy. "I'm not even gonna ask if you're ok, because I'll know the answer." Flippy stood up straighter. "So, I see Fyre made it back." Alam walked over, the dog's blood dripping on the ground. He looked at Flippy's back. "They did a number on you." Flippy was about to answer, when Alam leapt at him, sinking his fangs into one of the chains. The Shepherd pulled and twisted. The metal groaned and bent, finally snapping under the strain.

Flippy dropped his arm to his side and waited as Alam set his teeth to the other one. The shepherd snarled and bloody spit dripped out of his mouth as he yanked the chain hard. With a snap, it was severed and Flippy was free. The manacles were still tight on his wrist, but at least he could move his arms again. Alam shook his head and started gnawing at the chains holding Flippy's legs down.

Flippy looked at his wrists, seeing blood oozing from under the metal. "Larka can snap those off and get you healed up when we get back. Now we just need to get out of here." Flippy took a breath, then looked at Ryne. Her fur was a darker blood red when it was wet. "Ryne, about what happened, I'm sorry." She laughed. "Oh, give it a blow! You did what you had to do!" He smiled, slightly embarrassed for some odd reason. A third snap was heard as Alam bit through the third chain.

A black shadow moved across the ground, coming to a halt next to Ryne. "Ryne, Viktor's on his way here..." Alam, who had his teeth in the final chain, jerked his head up. "What!? How'd he know we're here!?" Crow shook her head and flicked water from her ears. "He doesn't, he's just checking up on things. Hurry and bite through that chain." Alam growled angrily, but started biting the chain anyway. Ryne turned and started surveying the area. Her eyes came to rest on the body of the hedgehog. She turned towards Crow, her eyes blazing. Crow caught the look and nodded.

While Alam finished biting through the chain, Ryne and Crow drug the corpse over to the stakes. Flippy jumped out of the way and went to help. Ryne bared her fangs at him. "No, get to the woods with Alam! Crow and I'll handle this!"

Flippy was frustrated, but did as she commanded. As he entered the trees, he was greeted by a familiar sight. Handy rushed up to him. "Flippy! You're okay!" Flippy shook his head. "No, I'm not. My wrists, ankles, and back hurt! But," He added "you can say I'm alive." Handy laughed slightly, then jumped as Ryne and Crow came through the bushes and, without greeting or saying anything, took to the trees.

Handy watched them go. "What do they think they are? Squirrels?" Flippy looked up and jumped into the tree too. "What? You too, Flippy?" He turned to Alam. "What about you? Are you gonna go squirrel on me too?" Alam growled at him, causing Handy to jump. The Shepherd glowered at him. "Why did you even join the Army? And how did you even make it to the Suicide Corps? You're too jumpy and you obviously can adapt to anything. Besides, you're too loud." Alam crouched down and jumped, landing on a branch and followed the other.

Handy was left by himself. "Oh, come on! I was just joking!" Silence. He hung his head. 'They always leave me...hmph...' He threw his body at the branch, but fell short. "Damn..." He heaved himself up and started to climb, knowing that he wouldn't make the branch no matter how hard he tried.

Viktor dashed over to the prison area. "Let's see if this storm and the beatings have loosened your tongue." He whispered softly to himself as his crazed eyes flashed in the lightning. He slowed down and started to creep up on the form. He noticed that the guards weren't around. 'Lazy bastards...I'll have them executed later...' He crouched down and leapt at the figure between the stakes.

"Argh!" Viktor leapt back, several quills imbedded in his nose. He shook his head and pawed at his face, feeling the quills pull loose. The Shepherd looked at the figure now. It was the hedgehog guard. The chains had been wrapped around his paws, making him look, in the dark, like Flippy. The lightning flashed again. That was when Viktor saw the corpse of the dog, laying sprawled out on the ground. His throat was ripped clean open.

A scent lingered. It was one that reminded Viktor of his past. He shook his head and snarled. Now was not the time for reminiscing! He thought about running back and alerting the pack, but decided against it. 'They'll only get in the way!' He thought as he ran into the woods. The rain had washed the scent away, but the tracks were still visible.

He followed them, but they stopped suddenly at a tree. He smiled inwardly. 'Fools, what do they take me for!?' Viktor leapt up, his long, serrated foreclaws digging into the bark as he shot through the trees, looking for the small telltale signs that showed whether some beast had been by here. A small cut in the bark here, a broken twig there, and the slight smell. It was the scent of the one he had betrayed long ago. 'Ah, what joyful, fun filled times...'

**(Timeskip--5 minutes)**

A dark sense within him told Viktor that he was close to his quarry. What fun he'd have with them before he'd kill them! He halted on a branch and looked around. Something didn't feel right...he shook his head and leapt to another branch.

Suddenly, from out of the upper branches, a form raced down at him. It took him by surprise, making it impossible to react to. The form smashed into him and they both tumbled to the ground. As soon as they reached the ground, a set of fangs latched into his scruff and started shaking him violently. Viktor snarled and struck out, feeling his claws tear violently through fur and flesh. With one last heave, the attacker slammed Viktor into a massive tree, stunning him.

Alam dropped Viktor's body and was about to kill him, when a sudden cry came from the woods. The Shepherd looked up and saw at least 50 dogs baring down on him. Alam took one last look at his most hated enemy, then fled through the trees.

The dogs stood around their leader. Some of them whispered about whether he was dead or not. But, one dog at the front turned to another, whispering. "Now's my chance, I'm out of here..." Viktor's eyes suddenly snapped open and he lunged, burying his teeth in the dogs neck. The dog yipped as Viktor swung him off the ground and bashed his body against a tree.

Viktor let go, but the dog's body remained there, impaled upon a jagged piece of wood. Viktor reared up and slashed at the dog the impaled dog had spoken to. He fell back, yelping as blood welled from one of his eyes. Viktor barreled into him, sending him scurrying. "And that goes for the rest of you! If I catch any of you even thinking of leaving, I'll roast you slowly over a fire!!"

The remaining dogs took a pace back from their insane leader, but kept their mouths shut, afraid to bring his wrath upon themselves. Viktor glared around at them, then licked at a chest wound, tasting his salty blood. Over the scent of his own blood, Alam's scent lingered. As the familiar scent drifted around him there was no doubt in his mind: Alam was alive and he was out for his blood.


	12. The Raging Stream II

**_Zs99: Whew...this was one of the hardest chapters to get out! I have no clue why though...anyway, this is probably the longest chapter I have typed so far, but there are plans for a LONGER one in the future (shifty gaze)...Oh, and GDW fans, get ready. I've used a certain scene in GDW for inspiration in this one...heh-heh-heh..._**

The morning sun rose above the eastern mountains. The red leaves on the trees sagged with the weight of the water from the night before. One leaf in particular was drooping low as more water rushed to the tip. The large drop slipped off the leaf, falling earthwards. Alam lifted his head and sneezed as the water struck the slits where his nose had once been. He shook his head and stood up, stretching from his night of cramped sleep. He knew it was dangerous to not post a watch, but the rain had been so heavy that it washed away any tracks, scent, and obscured the opening in the bush where they slept.

Ryne was curled up next to Alam, with Flippy on the other side of her. She seemed content, even in the cramped quarters. He nudged her in the back. She groaned and, opening her eyes, rolled over and stared at Alam. "What?" He turned and looked through the leaves. "Morning is here. We need to get back."

After the escape, Ryne decided to hunker down in the thick cover of bushes. The rain had made everything just too confusing. Instead of rushing to a possible death, it was the better choice to lie low and wait it out. Ryne rolled onto her back and look at the little bits of blue sky that shown through the bush. She sighed and sat up. Her movements shook the bush, scattering the raindrops.

A drop landed on Crow's ear. She flicked it off and opened her eyes. "Morning already?" She yawned and started making her way out, accidentally stepping on Handy's tail and Flippy's stomach. Handy almost yelled, but had his face pressed into the ground by Kuro, who had when woken up by a well placed raindrop. He dug a claw in his ear and shook his head, trying to dislodge the water. Flippy's eyes flew open and he gasped, clutching at his bruised stomach.

Crow paid no mind to her comrades as she poked her head out, checking for enemies. Seeing none, she stepped out and shook herself. Alam was already out and so was Ryne. Crow narrowed her eyes at the sunlight as Flippy emerged behind her. He yawned and walked over to Ryne. She turned to face him. "And, how are you? Not good, I bet." Flippy flinched as pain shot through his back. Alam lifted his muzzle and sniffed.

"We really need to get going. You can bet Viktor won't be sleeping in after what happened. And," He looked at Flippy. "Your wounds might get infected. Come on." Alam lopped off in the direction of the base. Ryne followed, with everyone else starting to follow too.

Suddenly, Alam's hackles rose and he started to snarl. The shreds of his ears quivered and he dug his claws into the ground. With one powerful lunge he rocketed across the forest, leaping high and crashing through a bush. Several growls were heard and then a whining sound. Ryne ran forward and signaled for everyone else to split up. They moved off and surrounded the bushes, which had gone still, except for the ragged, labored breathing.

Ryne pushed through the greenery. Alam was crouched and his fangs were fastened into the throat of a dog. It was the rusty colored collie from the night before. The black dog, her companion, was huddled to the ground, refusing to leave her, but too terrified to move. His tail was bristling and it swept the ground in agitation. He jumped and growled as he saw he was surrounded. The collie had spit running from her mouth as she gasped for breath. Alam was about to tighten his hold. "Alam, stop that! I order you to release her!" Alam blinked in confusion, but released her anyway. "What are you thinking, Ryne?! She and that dog are the enemy!"

The dark dog crept over to the collie. "No! We're deserters! When Viktor finds that we're gone, he'll come to kill us!" Alam barred his fangs in their faces. "So what?! You've come like a pair of sniveling cowards to us now!? I stake my life that you two would've killed us if you got half the chance last night!!" They crouched lower to the ground. "What else could we do?! It's war! And, if we didn't, Viktor would've killed us!"

"You could've run for it beforehand." Flippy said, taking pity on the two pathetic creatures. The collie's ears drooped lower that they already were. "We already know what happens to those who flee...my brother tried to run, but Viktor caught him and...had him tied up and throw into a fire..." She laid her head onto her paws as tears rolled from her lovely dark brown eyes.

Alam was quiet for a moment, then he turned to Ryne. "Well, I know how Viktor can be...we should take them with us." "Wait, how do you know they aren't lying!?" Alam turned to Handy. The beaver seemed to shrink as the bright blue eyes bored into him. "I just do. You'd do best to listen to me, if you know what's good for you..."

"But, I just...!" Alam snarled and barred his fangs. Ryne stepped between them. "Stop it! You're both on the same side! Alam, it doesn't hurt to be careful! And you know it." Alam stopped snarling, but glared at Handy. "And you," Handy turned his eyes from Alam and looked at Ryne. "You need to learn that when Alam says something, he is normally right."

She gazed at the two dogs. The collie had recovered significantly and was sitting up, most of her fear had vanished. The black dog, who's fur was even darker than Crow's, was looking around, still suspicious and frightened slightly. "So, tell me, what are your names?" The black dog answered, his eyes flicking around. "I'm Fell. And," He pointed with his muzzle. "she's Dawn." Dawn nodded her head to Ryne.

"Okay, now that that's out of the way, are we going to be getting back or what?" Crow asked as her tail twitched in agitation. The sun was getting brighter and Viktor's pack would be tracking them. "Yes, follow me." Ryne leapt up, landing on a branch high up in a tree. Everyone, apart from Handy, made the jump. Kuro looked down at him. "Come on, Handy! Are you a coward or what?"

"What!?" Kuro laughed and stuck his tongue out at the enraged beaver. "You heard me!" Handy growled and threw himself at the trunk, sinking his nails into it and slowly making his way up. Ryne just shook her head. 'How did he ever make it here...?'

A sudden movement attracted her attention. A gray dog came out of the bushes with a snarl. Handy clamped his teeth together, refusing to shout, as the dog's fangs pierced his tail. As soon as the dog bit down, Ryne had made her move. The dog fell back, a bowie knife piecing his brain. She leapt down, Flippy and Alam quickly following her. Alam grabbed Handy and hauled him up into the tree.

Ryne retrieved her knife and perked her ears as the sound of barking reached her. "Alam, lead everyone back. I'll stay here and draw them off." Alam grunted in recognition as he dashed off through the branches, Handy stilled clutched in his mouth. Ryne listened to them go, then she relized something.

The red Akita whipped around and glared at Flippy. "Get going! I can handle it by myself!" The bear stubbornly stayed where he was and shook his head. "No, sorry to disobey, Ryne, but I'm staying with you, whether you like it or not." Ryne stared at him. Never before had someone disobeyed her orders so openly!

From out of the trees, came Alam. Ryne gritted her teeth. "What are you doing here?! I told you to get them back!" Alam crouched, preparing to fight. "I met up with Larka on the way there. And get this, Fell is her brother! You should've seen...!" A dog suddenly sailed out of the trees and landed before them.

Alam snarled and his fur stood up. Before them, Viktor stood. He narrowed his crazed eyes and barred his fangs at Alam, then sprang. Alam pushed passed Ryne and engaged his most hated enemy. Both dogs reared onto their hind legs, ripping and tearing with their fangs while they gouged at each other with their claws.

As suddenly as they met, they backed up, panting and bloody. Alam had received severe damage on his shoulders from Viktor's serrated foreclaws, while Viktor's neck was splattering blood everywhere, staining his white chest fur. They started circling each other, looking for an opening.

Ryne watched the surrounding woods. It was too quiet, as if Viktor's fighters were waiting for a sign...that was when she noticed something the made her stomach turn. When Alam had stepped in the shadow of a tree, Ryne froze at the sight of a little red dot, fixed right between his shoulder blades. She filled her lungs, preparing to shout a warning to the Shepherd.

A zipping sound whistled close to her ear. A thunk was also heard, which was quickly followed by the thud of a body. She turned and saw her bow. It was in Flippy's paws, and the string was still quivering from the release of the arrow.

Viktor snorted impatiently and growled. He lifted his head and shouted. "The plan is gone! Get them! Rip them to shreds!!" Unfortunately for Viktor, his fighters were not as fast as he was. Alam wasted no time. He rushed forward and buried his fangs into Viktor's neck. Viktor, unfortunately, was as experienced as Alam. He rolled onto his back and thrust his hind paws up into Alam's gut. Alam's breath rushed out of him and he felt blood start to pour out of him, but he kept his grip, even as Viktor's blood splattered into his eyes. The momentum of the kick sent both of them flying. First Viktor was on top, then Alam, then Viktor. A tree was the only thing that broke their flight.

They broke apart. Alam rushed at Viktor, his eyes blind as fury took him. Viktor smirked and dodged, swinging out with his front claws. They slashed through Alam's stomach. Alam snorted in pain, then latched his fangs into Viktor's throat. Viktor roared in pain and rushed at a tree.

Alam's head connected painfully with the trunk. He was dazed, but he still refused to let go. Viktor reared up and slammed Alam into the ground. After several attempts to rid himself of the killing pressure around his neck, Viktor stopped moving and panted. "You won't get me off, Viktor. Even if I die, my fangs will remain in you forever!" Alam's voice was muffled, but it was still discernible. Viktor gritted his teeth, spit dripping from the corners of his mouth. "Is that so? You half-dead piece of-!" He reared up again, but this time, he slammed his claws into Alam's chest, digging his claws deep. He felt Alam shiver in pain and smirked, then dug them deeper.

"So, you'll never let go, eh?!" Blood was quickly welling up around his claws. "Then I'll just kill you and end it all!!" A sudden pain gripped Viktor. He heaved up, feeling blood splatter down his face. Alam's fangs were deep, but not fatally. They ripped through Viktor's loose neck skin and fur, failing to cut his throat. Alam laid on the ground, pain and blood loss making him dizzy.

Viktor glared at Ryne. She was still standing in the position in which she had thrown the knife. "I won't allow you to do that to Alam anymore! Bastard! You'll fight me now!" Anger suddenly flooded her and her eyes turned to slits. Viktor lifted his head and licked his fangs. "You think you can fight me...how rich!" He lunged at her and felt his fangs bite air.

He looked around. Ryne was gone. "I'm over here." Viktor whirled around and lunged again. Ryne whipped around and started running. She dashed passed Flippy and gave him a look. He dodge aside as Viktor rushed passed, his angry snarls ripping through the morning air. Flippy rushed over to Alam and checked him over. His stomach was wounded deeply, but not to the point of his intestines falling out.

Flippy took out his knife and started to unscrew the top. Alam's eyes were closed, but they flickered open and stared at Flippy. "Where's Viktor?" He took his eyes off of Flippy and looked around. "Where's Ryne?!" Flippy answered as he slid some thread and a needle out of the handle of his blade. "She picked a fight with Viktor and they both ran off in that direction." He jerked his head to the direction in which Ryne and Viktor had gone.

Alam tried to get up, but Flippy pushed him down. "Stop. Ryne wants me to take care of you. You won't be able to fight in your condition." Alam laid down and closed his eyes halfway and was quiet. Flippy threaded the needle and started sewing Alam's belly wound up. Alam opened his eyes and looked back at Flippy. "I bet you wish you were with her instead of tending to me, right?" Flippy didn't answer as he continued his job.

Alam closed his eyes again. "You're silence tells me everything. Don't bother sewing up anything else. Once you finish, you need to head after them and help Ryne in anyway you can. Understand?" Flippy tied a knot and cut off the remaining thread. Alam kick and sat up, then slowly got to his feet. He licked at his shoulder, then stopped and turned his gaze on Flippy. "What are you waiting for?! I can take care of myself! Now get going!" Alam barred his fangs and snarled. Flippy whipped around and vanished, needing no second bidding. Alam pulled in a breath and leapt into the trees, disappearing none to soon. Viktor's dogs surged through the trees, panting from their hard run. They looked around, confused at the sight of the blood and the lack of bodies, dead or alive.

**(Timeskip--5 minutes)**

Flippy ran hard. His wounds pained him badly, but he ignored them and pressed on. He didn't have to stop to know he was on the right trail. Branches and bushes were destroyed and trampled everywhere. Blood smears and splatters stood out against the yellow of the leaves. And, here and there, he could see fur. Sometimes it was red, and other times it was the coloration of a German Shepherd. "Whatever's happened, please let Ryne be alright!" He whispered to no one in particular as he continued running.

**(Timeskip--10 minutes ahead)**

Viktor stood, panting as he looked around. He was on the bank of a fast flowing river. Blood dripped from a slash on his chest, mixing with the water as it was swiftly bore away. He sniffed, trying to pick up Ryne's scent, but was unsuccessful. He dipped his head and licked the wound. A weight descended on his back the instant he did.

Viktor reared up and barked in pain as a knife was driven into his shoulder. He slammed his back to the ground. Ryne let go and leapt away, holding the bloody blade to defend herself. Viktor walked stiff legged towards her. "Clever, but sneaky and cheap! I'll show you how a real attack it done!" He rushed at her. Ryne slashed with the knife and cut him between the eyes. Blood sprayed out, coating Viktor's face and Ryne's paws.

The Shepherd carried on with the attack. He bullied into Ryne and knocked her down. Star burst before her eyes as her head struck a rock. Viktor panted heavily as he stood up, his blood dripping into his eyes. He backed off, thinking that Ryne was too stunned to move. She suddenly leapt up and rushed him. Her fangs found his throat and she heaved, throwing him towards the river.

Ryne stood up, her shoulders heaving as she pulled in air. Viktor lifted his head into the air and glared arrogantly at her. "Heh...you're tougher than I thought. Still, it'll take more than what you've got to kill me." Ryne crouched preparing for another attack. "I don't plan to kill you..." Viktor narrowed one eye. "What?!" "I plan to send you to hell!"

Ryne ran at him and locked her teeth into his neck, knocking him back towards the river. Viktor dug his claws into the ground and found purchase on the slick rocks. Ryne pushed harder, straining to shove him into the same river she had almost drowned in. 'Come on, slip already!' Her mind screamed as Viktor raked her sides, attempting to rip her open.

Viktor knew what she was trying to do. "You think you can push me in, mutt?! I don't think so!" With a sudden surge of mad energy, Viktor reared up and slammed Ryne hard against the rocks. Her fangs loosened slightly as she went limp. Viktor jerked his head up, lifting her bodily again, before slamming her against the rocks again. She shuddered as her head thudded against a sharp rock, momentarily knocking her out.

Viktor once again jerked his head up, and this time Ryne's fangs ripped free. He snarled as he glared down at Ryne. "So, you'll send me to hell, eh?" He reached down and sank his teeth into her tail. Being stunned, Ryne was helpless as Viktor drug her closer to the river. With a massive surge of strength, Viktor threw her out over the water, at the same moment that Flippy burst through the bushes, showering the gold and red leaves everywhere.

Flippy's eyes widened as he saw Viktor let go and Ryne fly into the river. "Ryne!" He yelled as he ran at Viktor. Viktor turned and faced him, his mad eyes dancing. "So, have you come to die too!?" Viktor laughed madly, barring his fangs, and prepared to face Flippy. Flippy shot passed him and dove into the river. Viktor blinked. He had fully expected the bear to attack him. Viktor lifted his head and looked downstream, watching as Flippy vanished swiftly. "Fine, I'll let both of you die together!" He threw his head back and laughed crazily.

As soon as she hit the water, Ryne had come to her senses. She surge to the top and gasped in a breath. Her eyes opened and she looked around. The last time she was in a situation like this, she had been unable to save herself. But, that was at night, at least now she could see what she was doing.

Suddenly, a powerful force sucked at her legs and jerked her under. Flippy's head emerged just in time to see Ryne go under. "Ry-!" The sucking returned, this time pulling Flippy under. He caught sight of Ryne as she vanished through a tunnel that had been carved into the side of the river bank. The world became black as he too was pulled in.

Several moments passed. Flippy's body thudded against the walls of the tunnel, battering him to the breaking point. Flippy thought his lungs would explode, when his head scrapped the ceiling, then broke the surface. He gasped in air and looked around. Instead of the river or a enclosed tunnel, he saw that he was in a gorge. Its walls rose high into the air and the walls were sheer. Far above, the sky shone bright blue. "Flippy! What the hell are you doing here?!" Ryne's voice echoed around the walls. He looked ahead.

Ryne was a few yards ahead, still getting tugged along my the fast flowing current. Flippy swam over to her. Ryne had grabbed a hold of a jagged rock that jutted out from the river. "What does it look like? I'm helping you." Ryne sniffed and glared at him. "Helping me? You can't even help yourself at the moment!"

"Well, how many times do you plan to jump into the same river while we're here?" Ryne splashed water at him. "I didn't jump in. If my memory serves me right, I can recall being knocked or thrown in each time!"

"Hey, are you two alright?" They stopped arguing and looked up. On a spur of rock, stood the form of a dog. He was partially hidden in shadows, making it impossible to see if he was friend or foe. Flippy glared at him. "What does it look like? Who the hell are you anyway?!" He hadn't meant for it to come out like that, but he was in pain. The dog cocked his head.

"Who am I? Well, I think I remember my name. I can tell you, but names are easy. How would you know if I'm telling the truth? Or if I meant you harm or not?" Without waiting for a reply, he vanished. Flippy growled. "Some help he was..." "Well, I don't think I could've been any help from way up there."

The dog's voice came from the shadows, this time closer to them. Ryne narrowed her eyes and saw him sitting in the shadows, watching them. "Tell me," She said "are you an enemy or are you a friend?"

He cocked his head again and stepped into the light.

**_Zs99: Yeah, it's a cliffhanger, but I had to stop somewhere --'..._**


	13. A Mental Cure

**_Zs99: Sheesh! I'm sorry for the long wait for this one. My computer still has a virus, but soon it should be fixed...well, after I get all my GNG/GDW episodes off of it. Anyways, enjoy...I really dont know when the next one'll come out._**

**Recap:** The dog's voice came from the shadows, this time closer to them. Ryne narrowed her eyes and saw him sitting in the shadows, watching them. "Tell me," She said "are you an enemy or are you a friend?" He cocked his head again and stepped into the light.

Ryne stared up at the dog. He was a German Shepherd, slightly younger and smaller than Alam. His right ear was fully missing and his neck looked like it had been torn out. She stared hard at him. His fur was the normal coloration of a Shepherd, but he had bright cerulean stripes from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail. His facial and body features reminded her of someone, but she couldn't put her claw on it.

The dog trotted down to the edge of the river and sat down. "So, how to get you out?" He cocked his head again and looked up at the sky, then twisted his head to look to the right. Ryne looked at Flippy and whispered softly. "Is he all there?" Flippy held back a smile and shook his head. This dog was odd, but mental?

Suddenly, the dogs left ear perked up. "I know!" He turned and ran back into the shadows. "Wait-!" But the dog was gone. Flippy sighed. "Do you think he'll forget about us?" Ryne's paws were numbish from holding the cold rock. "Let's hope not..."

**(Timeskip--30 minutes)**

Ryne's head drooped, made contact with the rock, then jerked back up. "What the-?" She looked around, then shivered. "Man, I'm cold!" Flippy edged closer to her. Ryne set her chin on the rock as she was warmed slightly by Flippy body heat. "Where do you think that dog is?" She asked, her voice sleepy sounding. Her eyes started closing. Flippy shook her awake. "Stay awake. I'm sure he'll be here any moment."

She mumbled something, then perked her ears and lifted her head slightly. "What's...?" She seemed to snap awake just then. Come down the river at full speed, and heading straight for them, was a large log. The dog was perched on it. "Move, move, MOVE!!" Ryne shrugged off the numbness in her limbs and reached out, forcefully yanking Flippy out of the way.

One end of the log smashed against the rock, sending slivers of wood showering everywhere. The other end sank into a hole on the rock face. The dog stood still for a moment, then stood up and jumped. The log lurched a bit, but stayed. He smiled to himself as he swung around and trotted over to the rock, checking on the end near Flippy and Ryne.

Flippy grabbed the log and hauled himself out. The Shepherd backed up, to give him room, causing the log to tremble slightly. Flippy wobbled, gripping the wood tightly, then resumed helping Ryne out. By now, she seemed to have recovered from her earlier shock and managed without his help. She waved him off as he offered a hand. "No, I'm fine. Just get to shore." After his earlier show of disobedience, he carefully turned around and made his way over to the rocky shore.

The Shepherd saw him turning around and leapt into the water, disappearing within seconds. Flippy carefully put one paw in front of the other as he called back. "You know, Ryne, I'm starting to think you were right about him being mental..." Flippy leapt, landing safely. Ryne joined him seconds later, shaking the water from her fur.

She smiled ruefully at Flippy, who was now soaked even more thoroughly. "Sorry, Flip, but I am a dog, Varg or no Varg." "Flip?" Ryne rung water from her tail, with was drooping with the added weight of the water. "Yeah, a name repeated to often just becomes a sound. You're okay with having a nickname, right?" He blinked, unsure at first, then smiled and nodded. "S-Sure."

**(Timeskip--1 hour)**

Ryne sat with her back to one of the sheer cliff walls. The sun was finally starting to shine into the gorge, warming the air. A fly was buzzing a few feet from her. 'That irritating little bug...' She thought as her eyes tracked it. It landed on a piece of wood. As soon as its feet touched down, a knife sliced it clean in half.

The red Akita stood up and moodily yanked to knife from the branch, flicking one half of the fly into the river. "Where is that dog?!" She turned her head and narrowed her eyes. The walls were just too shear to climb and even though she and Flippy had searched, they had found no way out.

Except for the opening in the shadows, where the dog had appeared from. Ryne stared at it, then walked forward. Flippy, who had been messing around with a knife, looked up as Ryne passed him. "Ryne, I wouldn't go in there..." "Then you can stay here. I want to get out. My brother thought I drowned once before, I have no clue what he'll do this time."

Ryne slipped into the crack and looked around, keeping her back pressed to the wall. It was small, but she'd be able to get through. Footsteps behind her told her Flippy had followed her, despite what he had said.

The tunnel grew darker as they made their way further inward. Ryne kept her paw stretched in front of her, having learned from a mistake, when she had run face first into a wall in a glass maze. Her father, not to mention everyone else, had told her to keep her paws in front of her to prevent injury. She ignored them and, laughing all the while, ran into the maze. No more that 15 feet passed when she collided with a wall.

With her other paw, she rubbed her nose. "Ouch..." She muttered in painful remembrance. "What? Are you hurt?" Flippy's voice came from the darkness behind her. "Er, uh, no. I'm, uh, just remembering when I ran into a wall..." "..."

**(Timeskip--15 minutes)**

"Hey, is that light, or am I dead?" Ryne whispered to Flippy, trying to lighten the mood. They had been in pitch darkness for a few moments too long and Ryne felt like she was going to snap. "No, I can see it too."

Ryne stopped short of the light and crouched down, creeping quietly forward. The tunnel suddenly opened up into a wide cavern. Ryne's eyes flickered around, taking in everything as she looked for any signs of enemies or the strange Shepherd. Flippy crept up beside her and looked up. The light was coming from the ceiling, where there was a large section missing to let in light.

Ryne watched for a moment longer. Her danger sense wasn't going off, so that had to mean something. She stood up and slowly walked in, keeping her back to the wall to prevent anyone from sneaking up on her. The chamber had numerous paths in it, each of them leading into more darkness. Ryne moved away from the wall and stepped into the center of the chamber.

She turned her head up and stared out the hole. It was a good 10 or more feet above her head. "I don't think we can get out that way." She whispered to Flippy as she tapped her foot claws on the sandy floor. Flippy moved over to a tunnel and peered into it. Ryne moved to another, allowing a shaft of light to shine into the one Flippy was examining.

A pair of gold eyes flashed. Flippy jumped back as the dog dashed out, leaping over his head and landed on the sandy floor, skidding slightly. Ryne wheel around and, not even taking the time to check who it was, leapt on him. The dog stared into Ryne's face as the knife was pressed to his throat.

"Whoa...you're fast..." Ryne blinked, realizing who it was. She jumped up, letting the Shepherd get to his paws. He shook the sand from his black fur. "Well, I was asking for it, making that type of entrance and all." He trotted over to a tunnel and was about to go in, when Flippy stopped him. He placed his body in front of the hole, preventing entrance.

"I want answers. Where did you go earlier?" The dog sat down and cocked his head, answering coolly. "Into the water, of course." Most of the questions he answered in similar form.

"Why did you leave us there?"

"Because I knew you didn't want to go back into the water again."

"Why didn't you come back through that other tunnel and lead us out?" A butterfly, who had flown through the opening, fluttered close to the dog's remaining ear. He turned his head and leapt at it, acting like a pup as he chased it. It flew out, leaving the dog staring up threw the hole, his tail wagging.

Flippy stared at the Shepherd, a blank expression on his face. Ryne held in laughter at the look on his face. The Shepherd shook his head, his eyes clearing. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself." He padded over to a different hole, then turned and looked at them. "Well, come on." He lifted his nose and sniffed. "You smell of blood, bear. I can heal you, and get those manacles off. Just follow me." His blue striped tail vanished into the darkness. Ryne wasted no time in following him. "How do you know we can trust him?" Flippy asked, from where he still stood.

Ryne walked over to him and, grabbing him by the ear, starting tugging him along. "Ow! Ow! Stop! I get it! Ow! I won't question you again!" Ryne let go and walked ahead. "That's what I wanted to hear. Now, hurry before he gets too far ahead."

**(Timeskip--30 minutes)**

"Ow! Be careful!" Flippy exclaimed as the dog's fang accidentally nicked his wrist. The dog lifted his head and pulled in a breath. "Sorry, but this is the last one. Just bear with me." He laughed and lowered his head, chuckling as he latched his fangs into the metal. "No pun intended."

Ryne laughed quietly as she soaked a cloth into a cloudy mixture of water and herbs and gently wiped it across the slashes on his back. He flinched slightly, but remained quiet. A snap of metal and a thud in the sand told her that the dog had finished cutting through the metal band. Flippy sighed in relief as the weight left, leaving his wrist bloody and cut up.

The dog nosed a bowl of the herb water over to Flippy. "Here, put your paws into this. It'll heal them and help the fur grow back. It might be thinner around that region, but you'll still have fur there." As Flippy dipped his paws into the bowl, the dog walked behind him and sniffed at the lashes on his back. "They aren't infected. I know of something we can put on them, but I have to go and look for the supplies."

He turned and walked over to a massive mound of cushions and other soft things. He sniffed at them, then turned to Ryne. "You can both rest here. I normally sleep here, but the Varg don't usually get a good nap on the floor." Ryne stood up and stretched. "Thanks for the help. We'd be dead without you."

The dog cocked his head. "Don't mention it. I guess you're hungry too. Hold on." He trotted off, disappearing into another dark tunnel. Ryne helped Flippy up, carefully avoiding his wrist as she grasped his paw. "Well, we might as well try and rest. We'll need our strength to get back."

Ryne flung herself on the makeshift bed, crossing her arms behind her head and closing her eyes. Flippy carefully laid on his stomach, not wanting to touch the wounds on his back. He laid his head down and looked to the side. On the wall, there was a large R. It looked like it had been carved into the stone with a knife or fangs. Scattered around the R, were several names, each of them beginning with an r.

"Romulus, Remus, Rufus...What's with this guy and Rs?" Ryne opened her eyes and turned her head. "Maybe his name begins with R. Why don't you ask him?" "Because I know he'll just answer in the same way that he answered my previous questions."

Soft paw steps sounded from the hole the dog vanished through. He emerged from the shadows, carrying a bag in his mouth. He carefully set the bag down between Ryne and Flippy. "Here. There's some water and fruit in it. I know you'd probably want some meat, but I eat my meat raw and I know the Varg don't like that." He sniffed again at Flippy wounds, then started walking over to another hole. "I'll be right back. I need to find the ingredients for the medicine."

His tail swished as he vanished again. Ryne reached into the bag and pulled out an apple. She tossed it to Flippy and took out another one for herself. "Might as well eat while we can."

**(Timeskip--15 minutes)**

Flippy had drifted off to sleep within minutes of eating. Ryne laid awake, staring into the hole the dog had vanished through. Silently, the dog drifted through the hole again, chewing constantly. She watched him pad softly over to Flippy, then opened his mouth and dropped a blob of chewed up stuff on his back.

Instantly, Flippy woke up and tried to sit up, thinking he was under attack. Ryne leapt at him, stopping him from stabbed the dog with his knife. Flippy's eyes cleared and he dropped the knife. "What?!" He looked around and remembered where he was. The dog had backed off a good 5 feet, standing with his hackles raised and a slight snarl around his face. His fur laid down and he walked back over, a growl still lingering in his chest.

"Scared me for a second." The dog shook his head and cleared his throat, bringing the growling to a halt. Flippy slowly laid back down, his breathing easing up. The dog smoothed the medicine over Flippy's wounds with his tongue, making sure he got it into the slashes themselves.

He pulled his head back, the medicine smeared around his mouth. "There. Now, you just need to rest for a few hours and, when it dries, I'll scrap it off and you'll see." He walked over to a board on the floor and moved it aside. The sound of rushing water filled the chamber as the dog dipped his head down.

A few moments later, he lifted his head, his muzzle dripping water and the remains of the medicine washed away. He flicked his paw, sending the wood back over the hole. He looked happily at the medicine on Flippy's back, then sat down.

"So, how are you feeling?" Flippy was surprised. The medicine had already made his back feel much better. "Surprisingly good. What's in that stuff anyway?" The dog flicked his ear. "Oh, a little of this and that...with the odd frog thrown in here and there." Ryne shuddered. "So, you chewed up a frog?" The Shepherd scratched his ear and shook his head. "Yeah. But don't worry, he didn't suffer much. Kinda slimy though..."

**(Timeskip--12 hours)**

The dusk sky darkened until it was pitch black. Insects and frogs could be heard as they chirped and croaked into the night. A large toad shot it's tongue at a bug, downing it in one hungry gulp. It looked up and hopped out of the way as a silver paw thudded down.

Fyre lifted his head and surveyed the area. He dropped to his knees in a crouch, carefully looking around. He sniffed, trying to find his sister's or Flippy's scent. An owl hooted, then lifted from its branch, zooming by the Tora-ge Akita's head. Fyre froze and laid his ear back. The remains of the right one twitched as it too laid slightly back.

A twig snapped ahead. Fyre acted out of instinct. He leapt at the dark form. The Akita felt his teeth sink into the creatures shoulder. Instantly, he was lifted into the air and expertly flung away. "What do you think you're doing, moron!?"

Fyre got to his paws. "Ryne? You're alive?!" The dark form of Ryne shook herself. "Of course I'm alive! Do I look dead to you?!"

Fyre quietly looked at his sister, almost reassuring himself that the dog that stood before him was really his sister. The bushes behind her quivered as another dark shape stepped out of them. Fyre picked up Flippy scent. "You know, it seems that the river has it out for the both of you. Unless..." He looked from his sister to Flippy.

Ryne seemed to guess what he was thinking and held her paws up. "N-No! It's nothing like that! I swear!" Fyre merely shrugged. "Whatever. It isn't my business what you do in your private time." Ryne was glad it was dark, and that her fur was already red, even though she was sure her cheeks had grown redder.

"So, what happened anyway? We tracked both of you to the river, but the scent and paw prints vanished." Fyre said, slapping at a mosquito, then angrily scratched the bite. "Viktor and I fought. I, unfortunately, got stunned and thrown into the river. Flippy dived in to help, but we were both sucked down into this tunnel..."

Ryne went on describing what happened, occasionally turning to ask Flippy about certain details. "And you know, we don't even know his name." Flippy rolled his eyes. "And I doubt he knew it either." Ryne laughed quietly. "Yeah, he was a bit strange..."

"I'd love to stand here all night and chat, but don't you think we should be heading back now?" Fyre asked grumpily, as he slapped at another bug and picked a tick from his fur. "The pests are murderous, the Squad is leaderless, and we're in enemy territory. Apart from all of that, I'm sure we can have a really engaging conversation."

Ryne cocked her head and flicked her tail. "Why, brother, your vocabulary is getting rather extensive. You must've been practicing all day." Fyre narrowed his eyes and laid his ear back. "It's better than having a limited one, like someone I know..." Ryne winked at him as she started heading back to the HQ. "And would that be Sarge or the mirror?" Fyre followed. "Haha, very funny."

Ryne looked over her shoulder and smiled. "I know...whoa!" A knobby root was sticking up directly in front of her. Ryne's paw thudded against it and she fell flat on her face. A deadly silence fell on the group. Flippy and Fyre ventured forward, approaching Ryne with obvious caution.

Flippy was the first to break the unnatural silence. "Ryne? Are you okay?" Ryne's ears flicked up and she leapt to her feet, lunging at Flippy and Fyre. "Hit the dirt!" Ryne's tackle knocked Fyre and Flippy out of the way. An explosion blasted the area where they were standing just seconds ago.

Ryne snarled and moved off of the others and darted into the smoke, not caring for her own safety. A dark, fuzzy shape sprang up from a bush, looking for bodies. In a flash of silver, Ryne's knife embedded itself into the shape's chest.

Fyre and Flippy emerged from the dissipating smoke cloud. Flippy coughed quietly as he looked for Ryne. Fyre dashed over to the creature Ryne had killed. The knife was missing and Ryne was nowhere to be found. Fyre sniffed, but all he could smell was blood and smoke.

The bushes rustled. Fyre and Flippy took out a knife each and faced them, relaxing when Ryne stepped out of the foliage. She was covered in blood and was holding both of her bowie knives. Both were smeared in blood. She shook her head, splattering some of the red substance onto Fyre. Her eyes seemed slightly crazed. "Come on, no time to talk here! We have to get back to HQ before the rest of them come."

As usual, Ryne leapt up and vanished quickly into the tree leaves. Fyre jumped, gripped the branch and moved quickly. Flippy looked into the forest and, for a mere second, saw one glowing red eye. He gasped and quickly followed, fearing for his life and that of his comrades, especially Ryne. "I've got to tell her..." He whispered as he ran.

In the woods, a giant bear with one eye stared at the fleeing figures. Slowly, he turned and headed back to his fortress in the mountains.


	14. FINALLY!:: Flippy's Secret Revealed

**_Zs99: Well, I proof read this at...4 A.M., so, if there's any mistakes, don't blame me! Anyway I don't think I put any timeskips in this one, which is a first. Enjoy! P.S.: My computer still have a virus --'..._**

The early morning sun rose above the mountain line, bringing light to the forest. Ryne ignored the beauty around her as she surged through the tree tops, intent on getting back and preparing the others. The blood from the earlier kills was drying, tightening and pulling uncomfortably on her fur. Suddenly, she stopped. Claws skidded on the bark behind her as Fyre and Flippy came to a halt.

She turned around and listened. There was no sound of anyone following. She breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close. I don't want the location of HQ to be given away just yet." "Wait a minute, what do you mean by 'just yet'?" Her brother asked, barely keeping the suspicion out of his voice. Ryne merely waved her paw. "Never mind any of that. Come on."

Fyre grabbed at her tail, wanting to know what she had meant, but missed. He growled, then started following again, turning to look at Flippy. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Flippy shook his head. "I don't know what she means. She never told me anything." Fyre grunted and faced forward again.

Flippy flinched and looked back. The area was quiet and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Still, it felt like someone was watching him. He shook himself and sped up, bypassing Fyre and ran alongside Ryne. "Ryne." She looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Yes?" The look in his eyes made her slow down, coming to an eventual halt. "What's wrong?"

"Yes, what is wrong? You seem...disturbed." Fyre said as he landed on a higher branch and looked down at them. "Not that I care or anything. But the way you've been acting is far from your normal." Flippy looked over his shoulder at the silver Akita, then whispered into Ryne's ear. "I need to tell you, and only you, something." Ryne's ear flicked and her tail thrashed, but she stayed silent.

Moments went by and still she didn't answer. Then, Ryne nodded. "If you must." She looked up at Fyre. "You go ahead and warn everyone of the danger. I'll join you shortly." Fyre glared suspiciously at Flippy. "Fyre." He turned to his sister, anger dancing in his eyes. "Go."

Fyre laid his ear back and snorted, then took off like an arrow from a bow. "I'm sorry, Ryne. He's still slightly suspicious of anything I do." Ryne rolled her eyes and snorted. "If Mom came down from heaven and offered him a cookie, he'd think it was a plot to poison him." Flippy had never heard Ryne talk about her mother before, even if it was, for lack of better words, comical. Still, he decided not to press the issue. Ryne laughed slightly. "Anyway, what did you want to tell me?" Flippy looked around, then shook his head. "Not here." Ryne sighed, then nodded. "Fine. Follow me and tell me when."

They swung to the right and continued through the trees. Finally, in a clearing, Flippy was ready to tell her. "Okay, this is good." Ryne leapt from the tree and landed cat-like on the ground, sending up a small cloud of dust. She shook herself and faced Flippy. "So, what is it?"

Flippy took a deep breath. "Will you make me a promise?" Ryne blinked, then nodded. "Sure, and that would be?" "That you won't hate me after I tell you something." Ryne perked an eyebrow, then closed her eyes and shook head, gently laying a paw on Flippy's shoulder. "Flippy, there's no way I'd hate you. You're a good person, even if you are a bear. You have nothing to worry about. Heh, after all we've been through, you'd be mad to think I'd hate you." Flippy looked Ryne in the eye. Even though they were red, there was a strange gentleness within them. Flippy's heart pounded in his chest as he stared into those red orbs. "Hey, what did I tell you about staring?"

Flippy blinked and looked to the side. "Sorry..." "Now, what do you want to tell me, for the third time?" "Well, I've been hiding this for a long time, but only because I was afraid of what everyone would do if they knew." While he spoke, his paw was slowly moving towards his beret. 'You know,' Ryne thought to herself 'I've never seen him without it...what COULD he be hiding?!'

He gripped it and was about to lift it off, when a voice drifted through the area. "Well, well, well. When I heard you were alive, I just had to see for myself, but to think that you'd actually joined the enemy...you've certainly gone down in the world, Flip." Ryne watched as Flippy stiffened, freezing completely.

Slowly, he turned his head, then his body, until he was facing behind him. Quickly, he stumbled back to stand next to Ryne. The Akita's eyes widened and her mouth gaped slightly as she caught sight of the speaker. Standing at the edge of the trees, was a bear. If Ryne hadn't known better, she'd have mistaken him for Flippy. His fur was the light green of Flippy's, except for one thing: The bright red crest of fur on top of his head between his ears.

"Flippy, I think I've made a summary of what's up, but, what did you want to tell me again?" The bear cocked his head. "What? He hasn't told you yet?" Ryne lost the look of shock, moodily crossed her arms and glared at him. "Does it look like he told me, you waste of space?!" The bear ignored the last part. "Hmph. Well then, why don't you tell her, Flip? Why don't you tell her who I am, or about the blood that flows through our veins?" Flippy sank to the ground, his eyes shut tight and his paws gripping at his chest.

Ryne's ears stood up, along with her neck fur. The bear toyed with the handle of a sword he carried at his side, appearing to enjoy the effects his words had. "You seem smart, Akita. I'm sure you already know what I'm talking about. Doesn't she, Flip? Why don't you take off that beret...brother?" Ryne closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "The only bear I know of with a red crest...is Akakabuto. You and Flippy are his sons." The other bear cocked his head again. "Yes, but you don't seem surprised."

Ryne opened her eyes and glared at him. "After all of the numerous, bloody campaigns I've been on, nothing surprises me anymore. Besides, the way you talk, not to mention your looks, I'd say you've already given that fact away." The bear spoke, slowly drawing his sword. "Oh, really? Nothing surprises you? Hmm..." He rushed at Ryne, his sword drawn fully, and swung it at her. There was a clash of metal as the sword struck Ryne's bowie knives. Both of them were crossed in front of her, catching the blade before it struck.

The bear jumped back and, avoiding a blow from Ryne, landing safely. "You're no ordinary dog..." He remarked as he wiped blood that flowed from two slashes on his cheek. Ryne flicked her claws, splattering the blood from them. "But, I was going easy on you there. This time, I'll make you kneel!"

The bear swung his sword. Ryne caught it like before, but flinched as the blade became two. The bear swung the other sword at her, knocking her knives from Ryne's grasp. A hind paw thudded onto her chest, knocking her backwards. Ryne's claws skittered, scattering pebbles, earth, and grass as her back struck a tree. There was a flash of silver and Ryne heard the bear's shout. "Now, you die, dog!" She moved her head aside and there was a thud as one of the swords thudded deep into the bark. "Dammit...this time, though..." Another flash of silver.

Ryne clenched her eyes shut and waited. She was cornered and couldn't move either way. Anger flared through her at her helplessness. Suddenly, there was a loud whack, then a thud. Ryne opened her eyes. Flippy was standing in front of her, shaking with rage. The other bear was laying on the ground, a trickle of blood running from the side of his mouth. "I won't let you hurt her, Switch! I'll kill you before you get the chance!"

Switch stood up and spat out blood. "Why would you protect her Flip?! You belong on Akakabuto, our father's, side! Not the side of a mongrels!" Flippy lifted a knife and pointed it at his brother. "Don't you dare call her a mongrel again! I don't belong to anyone! I choose to fight for Ryne and her army because it's the right thing to do! I've never agreed with Akakabuto and that's why I was sentenced to death! And don't forget, I know you, Switch! Both you and Slip have a great fear of Akakabuto, and that's the only thing that keeps you from leaving! You don't follow him out of loyalty, but out of fear, which is what Akakabuto uses to control you!"

Flippy turned to Ryne. "Are you okay?" Ryne stretched and felt her back crack. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just do what you must." She stepped back, watching Flippy and Switch quietly. Flippy turned back to Switch, then slowly started walking towards Switch. Both of the swords had dropped and one laid between Flippy and Switch. Flippy picked it up, pointing it at Switch.

Switch stood still as the blade stood inches from his nose. Switch had a confusion in his eyes. "The right thing...how can you call going against family the right thing?!" Flippy glared down the sword. "When that 'family' massacres without mercy, splitting families and taking lives needlessly. Akakabuto is evil...and I know I'm not the only one who thinks that. Before Akakabuto tried to kill me, you shared that view too. But, it seems that Akakabuto has convinced you otherwise. Go."

Switch blinked in confusion. "You're not going to kill me?" Flippy moved the sword closer. "Do you want me to...?!" A flash of black fur rushed out of a screen of bushes, colliding painfully into Flippy. Flippy was flung to the side, scattering pebbles and sand everywhere. Ryne dashed over to him, never taking her eyes from the second creature. He was a bear, with black fur and a crest of red fur. He was smaller than Flippy, but only by an inch. His black eyes had a fearful look to them, but he bravely stood between Switch and Flippy.

"I w-won't let you h-hurt Switch, F-Flip!" Flippy sat up painfully and stared at the black bear. "Slip. You've grown. I remember when you couldn't even budge me." Slip was shaking in fear, but he kept up a bold front. "I-I've trained." He shook his head. "But th-that doesn't matter! As I s-said, I won't l-let you hurt S-Switch!"

Flippy took a step forward. Slip staggered backwards, looking more terrified by the moment. Switch had retrieved one of his sword and stood next to Slip. "Stop that stuttering. You always do it when you're scared!" Flippy smirked. "Then he must be a stammering wreck whenever he's around Akakabuto." Upon hearing his father's name, Slip flinched.

Switch glared at him and held the sword, ready to rush Flippy...when howling filled the area. Larka crashed through the bushes and sank her teeth into Switch's shoulder, throwing him easily. Slip fell backwards and yelled, his stutter almost taking over his speech completely. "S-S-S-witch! I-I-It's a-a w-w-wolf!!" Larka's yellow eyes flashed as her blood coated fangs flashed. "Aye, I'm a wolf! And do you know what you are, little bear?!"

Slip sat frozen with fear as Larka advanced upon him. "Dead." She leapt at him, her paws stretched out, her claws extended, and her fangs bared. Flippy launched himself at her, knocking her to the ground and gripping her around the waist. Larka rolled and snapped at him, her yellow eyes flashing dangerously. Slip took advantage of this and rushed over to Switch.

Switch had stood up unsteadily, his hind claws gripping at the ground as he dug his right paw claws into the bark of a tree. "W-What are we g-gonna do now, Sw-Switch?!" Slip whispered hoarsely, his voice becoming rough from fear. Switch wheeled around and dashed through the woods, fast despite the wound. "Stop stuttering. We're going to retreat momentarily. It's three against two back there. I need to plan another strategy. Now hurry up or that wolf will catch us!"

Ryne stood between Larka and Flippy. The white wolf growled angrily at Flippy. "You idiot! You foul, loathsome, despicable, disgusting, repugnant, detestable, abhorrent, nasty, vile, odious, obnoxious, repulsive, revolting, offensive, sorry excuse for a maggot! Why did you do that?!" 'My God, Larka, you went overboard with the names, didn't you?' Ryne thought, slightly dumbfounded and amazed that she had been able to say that with only one breath.

"I couldn't let you kill my brothers! I was just trying to get them to leave!" 'Aw, so he was bluffing.' Even though she stood between them, Ryne relized it would be best to just let them yell at each other instead of butting in. "It doesn't matter if they were your kin! You still need to kill them! This is war, so what's the problem with killing your enemies!?!" "What's wrong with letting them live?! We came here to kill Akakabuto, not everyone else!" "Why you-!"

"You know, Larka, Flippy's right." Ryne cut in, mostly to stop Larka from launching into a long line of insulting names again. The wolf glared up at Ryne. "And how so?!" "If Flippy let you kill his brothers, then wouldn't that make him as bad as Akakabuto himself?" Ryne asked simply. Spit dripped from Larka's bared fangs. "And what does that have to do with me killing my enemies?!" Ryne shrugged. "Nothing."

Larka opened one eye more than the other, a habit she had when confronted with a confusing situation. "But, tell me this, if Fell had stayed with Viktor and you met him in battle, what you'd you do? Kill him, or let him go in hopes that he'd see the truth and join us?" Larka growled and turned her head, fixing her eyes on the ground. "Your logic infuriates me, Ryne. Fine." She swung her head around and started to lop back to the HQ. "Oh, and Larka..." She stopped, her ears cocked. "...don't tell anyone about Flippy being related to Akakabuto, okay?" Larka stood still, then nodded. "All right. I swear I'll keep it a secret." She started running, disappearing into the woods.

Flippy wiped blood from a cut on his cheek where one of Larka's fangs had sliced him. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, but I was, to tell the truth, scared of what would happen or what everyone else would've thought..." Ryne shook her head and looked at the sword Flippy still held. "That's understandable. I don't think Fyre would've taken kindly to you if he knew." "Yeah, I wouldn't want to give him another reason to hate my guts."

Ryne laughed. "He doesn't hate your guts, he hate all of you!" Despite their situation, both of them laughed. Ryne wiped her eyes. "But, seriously, I don't think he hates you anymore. Still, you need to watch out for him, since he still has an instinctive hatred of bears. Now, answer me this, are you going to tell me about yourself, or are you still afraid?" Flippy stood still for a moment. Then shook his head. "No..." Ryne sighed and was about to say something, when Flippy continued. "...I'm not afraid anymore. I'll tell you."

"I was born into Akakabuto's family eighteen years ago. Back then, I was called Flip and I was the middle child. Switch was the oldest and, immediately, he was regarded higher than the rest of us, mostly because of his age, but also because of his red fur, which was brighter than either mine or Slip's. Slip was the youngest and he was always nervous, but it was mostly about Akakabuto. He refused to speak each and every time our father" He said the word with disgust "came around. Still, his fur was redder than mine, even if it paled in comparison to Switch's. Anyway, one day, maybe seven or eight years ago, Akakabuto decided to take us out and teach us about war. It wasn't like we thought it would be. He took us to a village, that had been captured earlier that day, and ordered us to slaughter everyone. I flat out refused to do it and Slip was just too nervous and he fainted on the spot. Switch, whether it was to get all the glory or distract Akakabuto from us, stepped forward and said that he could do it all by himself...and that he did."

Flippy went quiet, catching his breath, then continued. "After we got back, Akakabuto took us out to a spur of rock that jutted out over a steep hill that was dotted with jagged rocks. He told me to walk out and tell him what I saw. I describe the scene, but I can't remember what I said." Again, Flippy stopped for a moment before continuing. "Then, he told me to turn around. The second I did, there was a blur and sharp pain erupted through me and I was pushed off. I remember looking at Akakabuto as I fell, his claws stained with what I knew was my blood. Luckily, I didn't fall too far. Instead, I got caught on a rock and just laid there, too weak to even moan. Before they left, I remember what he told them. 'See how Akakabuto treats traitors and cowards? Remember this and never defy me again!'"

Ryne stared hard at Flippy as he finished. "What happened after that? How did you survive?" Flippy shook his head. "I don't know. I woke up in a hospital with these." He unbuttoned his jacket and held it open. Ryne's eyes widened. Across his chest, were four deep jagged scars. 'I can't believe I didn't notice them before!' "Flippy..." He closed his jacket. "I had amnesia for a long time after that and, when it finally lifted, I remembered everything. I changed my name from Flip to Flippy to distance myself from my previous self and I was determined to stop Akakabuto at all costs. Still, I knew that that incident is what kept my brothers from deserting, which is what Slip and I had talked about for a long time. Switch never really said anything, but I think he would've followed us if we did leave."

"But now, I'm not sure what to think about him." Flippy said sadly as he lowered his head. Ryne blinked, then laid a paw on his shoulder. "I feel for you, I really do. Even so, you're not the only one with a past that is drenched in sorrow and blood. Many of the Suicide Corps have a background such as yours. Many have had such a bad life, that they only joined to try and end it all. But now, many of them have changed and relized that the life they have now is worth more than it used to be worth. They want to make something of themselves, even if it means ending their life in the process. But you are different from them. You want to make the world a better place by ridding it of a demon."

Ryne moved her paw down and wrapped it around Flippy's. "Come on. We have to get going. Just remember what I said." Flippy closed his eyes, then looked up. "I won't forget. Thank you." Ryne smiled and removed her paw. "I just do what I have to in order to keep my comrades alive." "Ryne?" "Hmm?" "What was your past like?"

Her eyes darkened momentarily and she spoke the same words she had before, when he had asked her about Fyre's hatred of bears. "That is for me to know, and I'll only tell you if I want too!"


	15. Akita Down!

**_Zs99: Yay! I got 15 up!...Sigh...MY MIND IS RACING!! There were SO many thoughts about what to do, that I had a hard time choosing which to use! Luckily, I have a pretty solid idea of what to do for number 16, which is a good thing!_**

**_I've had a good summer so far, but, on August 22 I have to go back to school! BUT, it'll be my last year! And I get out at 11:50. So I only have about 4 hours of school. I should still be able to get more chapters out._**

**_Just a heads up, I am planning to have at least 4 seasons of AWOL. Heh-heh, but I won't tell anyone anything about them...yet. ALSO, don't forget to vote for which FF you'd like to see me produce next. I'm sure you know where the poll can be found! And thanks to whoever voted already!_**

The half moon cast its dim light on a lone silver figure. Fyre laid on his side on a thick branch, watching the area, alert for any signs of the enemy. He rested his head on his left paw and yawned out of boredom. Several days had passed since Ryne and Flippy had reappeared and, for some reason or another, they saw neither sign of Akakabuto or Viktor, a crazy, rabid German Shepherd. 'What are they playing at...?'

The branch shook as a weight descended on it. Fyre recognized the wet breathing and didn't look over. "Has it really been only 5 hours? It's felt more like 10!" Fyre sat up and stretched, finally looking over to Alam. The mutilated Shepherd had laid down, taking up his watch. "Yes, Fyre. Only 5 hours. Go get some rest now."

Fyre slid off the branch and landed softly. "I don't think I can. I'm going for a walk." Hugging the shadows, the Tora-ge Akita moved off, Alam's voice reaching him softly. "Don't forget to tell the outer ring you're out for a walk. You don't want them to mistake you for someone else." Fyre his ear, signalling that he understood. Yawning slightly, Alam laid his head back down and fully started his watch.

**(Timeskip--45 minutes)**

Fyre sat on a rock at the top of the falls, thinking. Ryne and Flippy seemed to be getting close...too close, in Fyre's mind. True, he liked to see his sister happy, but not when it involved a bear. Fyre sighed. 'Flippy's not like other bears, I've seen that myself, but...I just can't get rid of my hate...' He thought regretfully.

Movement in the bushes behind him caused Fyre to leap up, knife drawn. A large pure white dog had walked through the bushes. His body shape was that of a German Shepherd, but his fur was white, lacking any of the marking of a normal Shepherd. His bright, emerald green eyes were startled as he saw Fyre. "Oh, is this where you come to think too, brother of the Leader?"

Fyre relaxed and sheath his knife. It was just one of Alam's followers. "No, I just wanted to get away for a while. What are you doing out this late?" The Shepherd took a seat beside Fyre. "Just going to think. With this war going on, one can not think as much as one wants. All we do is take orders. Not that I'm complaining or anything..." Fyre stared at the dog. There was something vaguely familiar about him...

"What's your name anyway?" Fyre asked, staring hard at him. The dog scratched his ear with a hind paw and shook his head. "Aramu. I don't have to ask to know yours. You're Fyre. It's an honor to meet you." Aramu bowed his head. Fyre scratched the base of his missing ear. "Uh, okay, thanks, I guess." Aramu stood up and stretched. "Well, I'll let you think. Good night."

He turned and walked off into the bushes, his white tail swished as he vanished. Fyre stared into the bushes, slightly dumbfounded at the dog's sudden appearance. 'Strange...where else I have seen his face before?'

"Where the hell are we!? Viktor said to follow the river!" Fyre looked sharply up. A group of five dogs were walking down the edge of the opposite river bank. Luckily, the combination of the rocks and Fyre's fur kept him hidden as he listened. "Why did we haveta be the ones to hunt this guy down!?" The lead dog rounded on the speaker. "Silence or I'll report you to Viktor! Akakabuto's placed a huge bounty on this bear's head and Viktor wants it!" The dog who spoke earlier grumbled angrily. "And what does that haveta do with whether we're the ones searchin' or not?"

The leader growled menacingly. "Do you want to be rewarded?" The other dog perked up. "Yes!" "Then shut up and search, rag pelt!" They continued to move away down the river, their voices fading away into the night. Fyre stared after them. 'Why would Akakabuto want a bear killed? You'd think he'd want more fighters...' The thought trailed away. 'Wait...could that bear be Flippy?!' Fyre quickly stood up and silently melted into the woods. He didn't even notice a pair of eyes glaring out of the opposite woods.

**(Back at HQ)**

Ryne rolled over in her hammock, her face clenched tight as she dreamed. Once again, Ryne found herself standing atop the mountain of boulders. The sky was a misty, gray color as flakes of snow started falling. Ryne looked around, trying to find any signs of her Squad or the enemy. She lifted her eyes to the horizon and took a step forward, staring into the distance. The area was darkening in three places as it took the shape of a creature. Two were dogs, but the center one was a bear. And not just any bear.

Akakabuto's huge shape was darker and more distinguishable than the other two. One of the dog was obviously Viktor, but the third shape was larger than Viktor. Unfortunately, she couldn't make out any details. As she stared, another shape could be seen in the distance. It seemed oddly familiar as it came into focus. A pair of eyes suddenly became visible, but the body stayed a dark misty gray color.

The eyes were green and seemed to be overflowing with malice. Recognition dawn on Ryne, when there was a massive explosion and the mountain she was standing on exploded. As she fell to the ground, burning fragments of stone flying around her, another shape appeared. These eyes were red and slitted, but they had a profound look of evil about them. Ryne hit the ground.

Ryne's eyes snapped open and she sat up, her eyes wide and sweat snaking its way through her fur. She wiped a paw across her brow and swung her legs around, standing up quietly. Trying not to wake anyone, she snuck over to the exit. The red Akita passed Sarge and had to suppress a laugh. The white Shepherd was sleeping on his back. His mouth was wide open, one paw hung off the side of the hammock and the other was laid across his forehead. The blanket was down to his waist and he was snoring uproariously.

Nova, who slept over Sarge in another hammock, had the pillow over his head, trying to drown out Sarge's snoring. His eyes stared at her from under the pillow. "Where are you going so late in the night?" The copper furred dog asked quietly.

"Oh, no where. I just couldn't sleep, so I'm going to go on Watch." Nova closed his eyes and resumed trying to fall asleep. "I can't sleep either, especially with the foghorn below." Ryne shook her head and smiled sadly. "Just try to sleep, Nova. Morning's coming soon." Nova grunted and pushed the pillow onto his head harder. "Easy for you to say..." "What was that?" "Err...Good night to you too, Leader!" Ryne flicked her tail and headed for the exit, slipping out into the cool night. A breeze blew past her, ruffling her blood red fur gently. She shivered slightly and shook herself. Fall was in full swing and winter would soon be following it.

"Ryne, why are you up so early?" Ryne looked up to see Alam's bright blue eyes staring down at her. Ryne stretched. "I couldn't sleep. So I figured I'd get an early start." The Shepherd grunted and laid his head back down on the branch. "I guess you're going for a walk too?" Ryne yawned. "Well, now that you mention it, I guess I'll-Wait, 'too'? Who else is out?"

Alam yawned, obviously being affected by Ryne. "Fyre's out. I don't know where he went, but he left about...maybe an hour ago." Ryne shook her head in agitation. "I REALLY don't like it when someone leaves without a partner. Damn it, I guess I'll go look for him." Alam perked an eyebrow as he watched Ryne march off into the woods. 'Sheesh, what's up with her?' He thought as he laid his head back down.

**(Timeskip--25 minutes)**

Ryne sat in the branches of a tree next to the river, looking down at two sets of paw prints. One set belonged to her brother, but the other...

Her nose twitched in agitation as she picked up the scent of a strange dog. The Akita dropped skillfully from the tree and started to follow them, carefully scanning the woods for any signs of enemies.

A twig snapped suddenly. Ryne's ears twitched and she bolted up a tree, hiding herself in the thick tangle of bare twigs and dead leaves. A flash of familiar silver fur told her what she needed to know. Fyre emerged from the surrounding woods, stepping into his previous paw prints. "Fyre." He looked sharply up, then jumped, hiding himself with his sister.

"What are you doing out here so late, Ryne?" She looked critically at him. "That's the same thing I wondering. What are YOU doing out here?" Fyre looked down, tracking movement as something approached. "I was just taking a walk and thinking. I was coming back, when I realized I was being followed. And whoever's following me isn't friendly. I can sense it! I knew I just couldn't head back to HQ and lead it there."

Suddenly, the bushes parted and a dog stepped out. He had a look of evil and cruelty about him. He was a German Shepherd, with two bullet holes on his right ear. He lowered his head and sniffed, then continued onward. Fyre held in laughter. "I've been leading him in a circle for twenty minutes! He'll just keep following my scent until it fades, while we escape back to HQ through the trees." Ryne snorted as she held in her own laughter. "What an idiot! But, we really should go now. Maybe Alam will know who that is."

Fyre shrugged, almost carelessly. "What should it matter? We'll just end up killing him in this war anyway!" Ryne cut her eyes at him. 'That's not like Fyre...' "Something isn't sitting right about him. I just need to know who that it, come on!" She launched herself off the branch and vanished through the treetops, with Fyre following close behind.

**(Back at HQ)**

Alam lifted his head as Ryne landed on the branch next to him. "What's up?" Ryne leaned in and whispered into one of the Shepherd's tattered ears. "Something's wrong with Fyre. I have my suspicions, but, with you're sense of smell, I'd like you to prove it." Alam's eyes darkened and he nodded.

Fyre landed on the branch on the other side of Alam and gave a breathless laugh. "Wow, I can't believe how fast you are! I had a-!" Alam leapt at Fyre, knocking him from the branch and pinning him to the ground. Fyre looked at Alam, fear dancing in his eyes. "What are you doing!?" Alam bared his teeth and roared into the Akita's face. "Where the hell is Fyre!?"

Fyre thrashed his head back and forth. "I-I am Fyre!" Alam's eyes had a wild look to them. "Prove it! The day we meant, how many WarDogs were dead when you found me?!" "Er, uh, six?" Alam quickly bent down and ripped out his throat. The fake gurgled and died, his eyes staring blankly at Alam. Alam shook his head, splattering blood on the ground.

Ryne leapt down. "I knew it. His attitude and everything else was off. Heh, but the biggest giveaway was that." Ryne pointed at the fake's right ear, which was intact. "Fyre had half of that ear shot off in a fight." Alam looked around. "But, where is the real Fyre?" Ryne dashed off, vanishing into the hole of the tree.

**(Timeskip--5 minutes)**

Flippy was sleeping peacefully, when he was suddenly shaken violently. His eyes snapped open, green in the dark. He snarled, thinking he was under attack. "Flippy! Something's happened to Fyre!" Ryne's voice jolted him back into reality. He rubbed one eye, sat up, and sheathed his knife. He kept it under his pillow incase he had to use it against an enemy. Thinking Ryne was one, Flippy had instinctively whipped it out.

"What's happening?" He looked around. The rest of the Corps were standing around him, waiting. All of them were fully armed. Ryne stood next to him. "Fyre has gone missing..." She sighed "...again." Flippy leapt up. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner?!" Great answered him. "She tried. You wouldn't move a muscle. I was only awake because of Sarge's freakin' snorin'." Sarge scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"This isn't the time to joke!" Ryne growled. "We have to find Fyre." "No need, Ryne. I've found him." Ryne turned her head. Crow was standing in the opening. "But you have to hurry! Just follow me!"

**(Timeskip--10 minutes)**

Ryne ran by Crow's side, listening as the black Akita explained what she saw. "A horde of dogs had Fyre cornered. I got back as fast as I could and alerted Alam. He's rallying his forces." As if to justify that, Alam suddenly came through the bushes and was running beside Ryne. Flippy, who was running just behind Ryne, suddenly noticed that they were surrounded by a large number of dogs. "Alam, how many did you bring?" The green bear yelled to the dog.

"About 200. The rest are guarding the HQ. Save your breath now." Ryne perked her ears and heard the sound of fighting. A silent signal was passed through the ranks of the Death Squad and Alam's fighters. Fangs and claws were bared and knives flashed in the dark. They were ready.

* * *

Fyre crouched like a caged animal, growling and snarling savagely. Blood oozed from several wounds and from the sides of his mouth. One eye was sealed shut from a wound over it and blood from a wound on his forehead dripped into his other one. The bodies of several dogs were scattered around the battleground, all of them killed by Fyre. The Tora-ge Akita snarled at the other 100 dogs as they came in closer.

One of them, a large German Shepherd, walked out of the horde and faced Fyre. "Where is your hideout!? Are you the leader or aren't you!?" Fyre smirked. "And why should I tell an ugly dog like you?" The Shepherd stared arrogantly at Fyre. "You obviously don't know who you're talking to! I'm Bozlef, younger brother of Viktor!" "You act like that's a big thing, little puppy."

"Silence! You will pay for your arrogance! Everyone-!" Howling and fighting suddenly broke out everywhere as Ryne's forces struck those of Bozlef's. The Shepherd wheeled around and saw, in horror, that another German Shepherd was heading for him. He had a mutilated muzzle and blood red stripes down his body. "No! You're dead!" Bozlef fell backwards as Alam's fangs slashed his cheek open.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'LL BE DEAD, BOZLEF!!" Alam howled as he launched himself at the Shepherd, both of them fell to the ground, fighting furiously. Ryne slashed the throat of another dog and landed next to Fyre. "I can't believe you almost got yourself captured again!" A dog ran at her, his fangs bared. Before Ryne could attack, a white dog with bright green eyes flashed by, using his fangs to cut the dog from nose to tail tip. The dog gave a pained yelp and fell, stone dead. Fyre recognized him. "Aramu!" Aramu ignored him as he continued to fight with another dog.

Nova whistled to himself as he looked down the sights of his gun, easily shooting an enemy dog through the head. A barking roar ripped through the area as a dog came flying at him. He didn't even turn his head. Another dog, one of Alam's, attacked the attacking dog, easily knocking him to the ground and fastening his fangs into the enemy's throat.

Sarge threw a knife, taking a dog through the neck. 'Damn.' Every since he lost his eye, his throwing had been a bit off. A weight descended on his back and almost knocked him to the ground. There was a green blur and a flash of silver, and the weight fell away. Sarge turned and glimpsed Flippy. The bear had dispatched one enemy and, noticing the dog that was about to jump onto Sarge, rushed over and sliced its head off. Flippy vanished back into the heat of battle and Sarge wheeled around, braining a brown dog with the handle of another knife.

KuroKaze dodged backwards as sharp claws flashed by him, cutting one of his whiskers off. The black cat hissed and leapt onto the dog, sinking his fangs into its scruff and raking his claws down its sides and shoulders. The dog howl and shook itself, dislodging Kuro and several claw fulls of gray fur. The dog snarled and leapt, biting Kuro's red tail and swinging him off the ground. The black cat screeched and clawed madly at the dog's face. The dog held on until Kuro's claws gored out one of its eyes. Dropping the cat, the dog staggered back, whining and pawing at its bleeding eye socket. Kuro took advantage of this and rushed it, flipping the dog onto its back and slashed its stomach with his hind claws. The dog had had enough, he turned tail and ran, vanishing into the forest as Kuro's claws scoured down his flank one last time. Kuro smirked, then dodged as another dog came after him.

Mad howling and snarling broke out, louder than the rest of the battle. Everyone stopped fighting and looked over. Alam and Bozlef were locked together in fierce combat, both of them rearing onto their hind legs to tear at each other with their fangs and claws. Both armies formed a ring around them and watched in silence. Bozlef ducked, avoiding a bite to the throat. As soon as he did, Alam's paw came forward and whacked him between the eyes, sending him sprawling backwards. Bozlef leapt up and shook himself, then started to circle Alam. He had a wicked look in his eyes as he tried to get Alam off guard. "You're no stronger than your brother, Alam. He died easily!"

Alam narrowed his eyes and growled dangerously. Bozlef cocked his head arrogantly. "Maxime and Lydia were a little harder, but they're dead now. You're all alone, Alam." Alam rushed back Bozlef, striking him hard with his shoulder. Bozlef plunged his fangs into Alam's back, but found himself in the air and slammed to the ground. Bozlef felt his fangs rip from Alam's flesh and his breath was driven from his lungs. Alam grabbed him by his hind leg and tossed him. Bozlef tumbled across the ground, scattering gravel, grass, foes, and followers. He came to a halt a good 15 feet away.

As if on cue, the fighting resumed. But, it was also then, that Bozlef's followers realized they were totally out numbered. The twelve survivors huddled together, fearfully looking around them as Ryne's fighters surrounded them, making sure none got away.

Bozlef tried to lift himself off the ground, coughing and trying to pull air into his battered chest. A pair of powerful jaws grabbed him by his scruff and lifted him up. Alam reared onto his hind legs and slammed Bozlef to the ground. The blow stunned the Shepherd, allowing Alam to throw him without any trouble. He landed into the center of the circle, crashing painfully into the remains of his devastated fighting force. He lifted his head, shook it, then stood up, dazed. Ryne stood before them with a bloody knife. The dogs cowered lower as she raised it. There was a thunk and the blade was quivering in the ground. Her eyes were hard as she glared at them. "You've played a dangerous game and you're comrades paid with their lives. Get out of here and tell Viktor that it will take more than what he has to defeat us. Both Viktor and Akakabuto will fall and no one who stays will be spared. Go!"

The dogs scrabbled at the ground, all of them trying desperately to put distance between themselves and the Akita. Bozlef stood as fast as he could and started limping off, then turned. "You've won this time, but-!" He got no further. He turned in fear and ran as Alam started to pursue him. Alam stopped and watched, disgusted, as the Shepherd ran/limped away into the night. He sighed and walked back to Ryne. Aramu was standing next to Fyre and Ryne, turning when Alam walked up. "We've lost 20, all of them WarDogs. None of the Death Squad were killed. Great has a wound on his shoulder and Kuro's kind of knocked up, but none were killed, as I said."

"Ryne! Come here, quick!" Ryne turned her head at the sound of Flippy's voice. The green bear was crouching down, supporting something. Ryne's eyes widened and it felt like her heart would explode. Cradled in Flippy's arms, with blood pouring quickly out of her, was Crow. "No! Crow!"


	16. Ron

**_Zs99: Bah! I'm tired (though I dont know many people that make that noise when they're tired...)! If there are an mistakes, I'll correct them later! Still, I proof read this to the best of my, currently very sluggish, abilities. Oh, just so some, or most, of you know, KuroKaze isnt shaped like a HTF character. He looks like a normal cat, but he can walk on his hind legs, talk, hold stuff with his paws, etc. He just LOOKS like a normal, Warriors-type, cat. K? Massive thanks goes out to those who reviewed (you know who you are :D)!_**

Ryne ran over to Flippy, who was holding Crow's bleeding body. "It's all my fault." He said in a angry voice. "If only I was paying more attention! She jumped in the way and took the fangs that were meant for me!" Ryne crouched down, giving the green bear a whack to his face. "Flippy, shut up!" He stared in shock at Ryne, slightly shocked. "You're no help to me if you freak out." She checked Crow's pulse. "...She's still alive, but barely." Ryne slipped off her jacket and, bundling it up, pressed it to Crow's wounded stomach.

The black Akita's eyes were barely opened and her breathing was shallow. "She's lost a lot of blood." Ryne mumbled as she held the jacket, which was quickly becoming soaked with blood, against the wound. "Larka's back at HQ. We can't move Crow and it'll take too long to go and get Larka."

"Ryne, I can go and get her. I'm faster than anyone here." Ryne turned and looked at KuroKaze. The young cat's black fur was fluffed out as he stared at the bloodied ground. Ryne nodded. "Fine. Go and get her, quickly!" Kuro nodded, then took off like a bat out of hell.

Despite all her faith in Larka, Ryne couldn't help but think, 'We need someone more experienced than Larka to help...!' Her eyes suddenly brightened. "I've got it!" Everyone looked over to her. Ryne stood up and ran. Fyre stared after her. "What?! You can't leave now!" But his words fell on deaf ears. Ryne was gone. The Tora-ge Akita massaged his head with one paw. It came away sticky with blood.

**(Timeskip--10 minutes)**

Ryne stood on the edge of the Raging Stream, as the river had been named, looking into the deep, dark, cold, fast-moving water. She sighed and braced herself for the plunge, getting herself ready to feel the cold grip of the rushing water. "What are you doing?" Ryne stopped herself and almost fell in. She looked to the other side of the river.

The mysterious Shepherd was there. Clenched in his mouth, was a torch, its flame was an eerie blue color. A big bag hung around his neck, with several pieces of grass, twigs, and herbs sticking out of the opening. When he spoke, his voice was muffled. "Are you trying to drown yourself? You're not mad at me for saving you earlier, are you?" Ryne hurriedly shook her head.

"No, but we can't talk about this now! Can you come with me?!" The dog blinked at her. "Why?" Ryne's ears flicked and her tail twitched and lashed in agitation. "A very good friend of mine is severely wounded and she's dying!" The dog stared at her. "If she's dying, why don't you just let her?" Ryne was shocked at that answer.

"What the hell?! Let her die?!" Ryne leapt, landed on a rock, then jumped onto the dog, holding a blade to his throat. Ryne felt the heat of the fire on her face as she roared at him. "Listen to me! She's dying, but she can be saved! Right now, we have our healer on the way to help, but we need someone with more experience! And that's you!"

The dog stared calmly back. "I never said I wouldn't help. I wanted to see how much she meant to you. Let me up and lead me there." Ryne breathed a sigh of relief and let him up. The Shepherd stood and shook himself, causing the fire to almost go out. "Well, what are you waiting for? Lead me to her."

**(Timeskip--10 minutes)**

Larka applied a poultice to Crow's stomach wound. By now, the black Akita had fallen into an unconscious sleep, but her breathing remained ragged and labored. She sniffed it, then looked sadly to Alam. The mutilated Shepherd had seen that look before and lowered his head. "There is no hope for her. She'll die..."

"Not if I can help it." Alam stiffened as the area was lit up by a strange blue light. The crowds of dogs parted, allowing a Shepherd carrying a flaming torch and their leader through. The dog turned to Flippy. "Please hold this, bear." Flippy took the torch and held it so the dog could see. Ryne turned and looked at Alam. His mouth was hanging open and his eyes were fixed on the dog.

Carefully, the dog licked the poultice off of the wound. Crow's face twitched slightly, but she didn't move or wake up. The dog mumbled to himself. "Thyme's good for shallow wounds, but not this...yarrow...that's what I need..." He nosed around in his bag for a moment, then pulled out a plant that resembled a fern and had broad, flat clusters of flower heads. He chewed it up quickly, the pressed it into the wound.

To everyone's surprise, Crow gave a sigh and her breathing eased. Larka watched in amazement. 'Yarrow...but, you don't use that for a deep wound! Who is this dog and how did he learn that yarrow could do that?' The dog pulled out another plant. This time, it was a broad, pale, dark veined leaf. He slowly chewed it up, then gestured Flippy over.

The bear stepped over to the dog. The dog reared onto his hind legs and drizzled the clear liquid onto the flame. The blue fire flashed and turned into a silvery-white color with a strange black center. "I'll take that now. Thanks." He grabbed the torch from Flippy and held it up to Crow's face, whispering. "Come back to us, dog of the deepest black."

There was a deafening silence. Everyone watched, barely breathing. Suddenly, Crow's eyelids flickered, then slowly opened. Ryne walked over and crouched down. Crow's black eyes stared at her, then she weakly lifted a paw and gave a weak salute. "Sorry for the rest, leader." Ryne shook her head. "You gave us a scare, but at least you're alive."

Everyone gathered in, desperate to see Crow and the strange dog who healed her. Larka's eyes were wide in astonishment. 'What did he use?! I've never heard of such a thing!' The white wolf walked forward, coming face to face with the Shepherd. "That was amazing! You must tell me what you used! And, how did you know about yarrow like that? I've never heard of it before!" The Shepherd cocked his head, his one ear flopping in a comical way.

"All in good time, my friend." This reply slightly frustrated the talkative canine. "Okay, but tell me this, will you sew her wound up?" The dog shook his head. "No, if I do that, I can't apply more yarrow." Larka nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, I se-!"

"Ron." The name rippled around. Everyone went silent as they heard it and turned to Alam. The Shepherd was staring straight at the dog, his eyes wide as he repeated himself. "Ron." The blue striped dog cocked his head again. "Are you the dog from my dreams? I'm only called that when I walk in the sky." Alam shook his head. "Ron, don't you recognize me? I'm Alam, you know, your brother?!" Ryne's blinked. Suddenly characteristics she had missed before were popping out at her as she look from Alam to the Shepherd.

Ron, the blue striped German Shepherd, shook his head. "I've seen you in my dreams, but, I'm sorry, I've never meant you before." Ron turned, grabbed his torch, and started to slowly walk away. Alam followed him for a moment, then stopped, watching his brother as the light faded away.

**(Timeskip--5 hours)**

"So, Alam, was he really you're brother?" Ryne, Fyre, Flippy, and Alam sat in a separate hollow in the HQ. The mutilated Shepherd nodded his head. "Yes, he is. But, he's lost his memory, as you know."

"What happened to make him like that?" Flippy asked, staring at the Shepherd. Alam laid his head on his paws. "It's too long a story to tell you everything, but, several years ago, he had his throat ripped out by Viktor and Bozlef. I personally thought he was dead...along with Maxime and Lydia..." Fyre, who's head was wrapped up in bandages, opened his mouth. Alam turned towards him. "Don't make me tell anything just yet, Fyre. I really don't want to."

"Nobody's making you, Alam. You can tell us when you're ready. Maybe in a time of peace?" The dog looked at Ryne gratefully, then nodded. "Yes, I'd prefer to wait until then." There was noise at the opening of the hollow. Larka stuck her head in. "Sorry to interrupt, but Ron is here."

In the blink of an eye, Alam was up and heading out of the hollow. Fyre stood up and, after glancing at Ryne and Flippy, headed after the Shepherd. Ryne turned to Flippy. "So, I guess that explains the R and all of the names. Ron must've remembered something about his name, but only that it began with an R." Flippy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, all of the other names were probably guesses at what his name really was."

Ryne smiled and stood up. "Well, at least we know who he is now." She held out a hand to Flippy. He grabbed it and was pulled up. They stood there for a moment, looking at each other. Flippy turned his head to the side, blushing slightly. Ryne laughed silently. "Come on, we should go see what Ron wants." She turned and walked out. Flippy stared after her for a moment, then followed.

Ron, with a bag tied around his neck, looked around, a slightly amazed look on his face. He turned to face Alam. "Nice place you all've got here." Alam was about to speak, when Ron continued. "It's almost like mine, except a little smaller." Yet again, Alam tried to speak, but stopped when he noticed Ron wasn't paying attention.

Ron's gaze was fixed on a butterfly that had fluttered in. He turned and panted, wagging his tail happily. The butterfly landed on his nose and fluttered its wings. Ron smiled up at it, then barked happily. The butterfly took off, drifting out of HQ. Ron chased it for a moment, sticking his head out of the hole and cocked his head quizzically as he watched it go.

Ryne noticed the look on Alam's face and laughed quietly. Ron perked his ear and turned around. "I'm sorry. I have a thing for those little bugs. Once someone called me a 'butterfly chaser', which, I guess, is kind a like a, what do you call it? Skirt chaser?" Alam shook his head, dumbfounded. "I don't know where you come up with this stuff, R-"

Ron held up a paw. "I know you're about to call me Ron. I guess that's my name, I mean, I know it began with an R. So you can call me Ron." "But that IS your name, brother." Ron shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry. If I am your brother, I can't remember. Please forgive me for that. All I can remember is the first letter of my name. But, I also remember having this wound on my neck, just not how I got it."

Ryne looked at his neck, which, as she already knew, looked like it had been ripped long ago. "But, after I lost my memory, if that is what I did, I learned how to heal. So, heh-heh, I healed myself. A little self-centered, I admit, but I just did what I had to do to live." He admitted with a sort of embarassed look on his face. "But," Ryne said softly "what you did for us was not selfish in any way, shape, or form. Crow would've died with you." Ron smiled gratefully, then perked his ear.

"Oh, that reminds me." Ron dipped his head, letting the bag fall from his neck. He opened it and stuck his muzzle inside. When he lifted his head, there was a bunch of yarrow hanging from it. "May I see the black Akita, please?" Ryne stepped forward and nodded. "Sure, thanks for coming back to check on things." Ron spoke in a muffled voice. "No problem. I'm glad I was able to help last night."

Crow was laying on a cot, her eyes closed as she rested. Larka stood by a shelf, arranging several of the various herbs on it. Her ears perked and she turned, snarling. When she saw Ryne, she stopped. "Oh, hello Ryne. Sorry for snarling. I'm quite tired and I'm starting to think everything is an enemy."

Several days ago, Ryne had had her Squad dig another cave out. As they were digging, they hit a rocky wall. Immediantly, Larka was all over them and with her, visions of an area to bring the wounded. Finally, with Ryne's permission and Larka's instructions, Alam's fighters were able to carve out a cave and several ledges. Larka had laid various soft things in the cave, making herself a type of bed. This cave had become Larka's Infirmary, as she called it.

Ron stepped forward and sniffed Crow's wound. Larka snarled slightly, but stopped as Ron swung around. "Why don't you get some sleep? I can look after her for a while." Larka stared at him, then nodded gratefully. She turned and lopped towards her den, sinking with a relieved sigh into the bedding and quickly fell asleep.

Ron licked off the old yarrow and applied a thin layer of it. Crow's eyes flickered, then opened. For a second, she struggled, but stopped when she realized who it was. "Oh, it's you again." She mumbled as she closed her eyes again, falling back to sleep. Ryne shook her head. "Two parts of her are trying to come into play. The first knows what's good for her, hence her falling back to sleep. But, the other part, the one we know more, is trying to keep her awake, to keep up a tough front..."

Ryne looked at Fyre. The silver dog nodded. "Yeah...she hates to appear weak..." There was silence as Ron finished up. He yawned and stretched for no apparent reason. "Well, that should do it. I'll clean it up and put some more on in a few hours. But, do you have anything to eat? I'm starving!" Ryne looked at Fyre again and shrugged.

**(Timeskip--30 minutes)**

Ron laid on the floor of the infirmary, lazily licking one of his paws. He had just finished eating and had a drowsy look about him. Alam was laying next to him, talking softly as if to a child. Ryne toyed with a knife out of boredom. She turned to Flippy and whispered. "You know, times of peace are good and all, but they bore the hell out of me."

"I know what you mean, but, sometimes I wish for a quieter life. Somewhere FAR, FAR away from Akakabuto." Flippy said, crossing his arms and sinking lower to he floor. "Yeah," A new, loud, voice cut in. "who wouldn't want to be far, far away from that lobster-backed fool?"

KuroKaze had been walking by when he heard Flippy. The young cat arched his back and yawned. "But, I wouldn't want my new life to be boring, either. 'Course I guess I'd like to be with my family, too." "You little fool, get out of there."

Kuro felt a jerk at his tail. He dug his claws into the ground, yowling, loudly, in protest, as Sarge tried to drag him out. "No! Let me go, you white idiot! Le' go, le' go, le' go!!" Larka's head jerked up, her eyes still half closed. Crow awoke also and growled. "Go away, you red-assed pissant!" Everyone looked in surprise at Crow. Never, and I mean never, had they every heard her use such coarse language!

"Mind that tongue, young lady" Ryne scolded playfully, "or I'll mind it for you!" Crow closed her eyes. "You might be my leader, but there's no way, come hell or high water, that I'd play along with that joke and call you mom!"

Everyone, even Alam, laughed, glad that the mood was lightened. Ron laughed, then went quiet as a scene flashed before his eyes, but he didn't understand it. There was Alam, and four other dogs. Alam, a large male Shepherd with a bullet wound above his left eye, and a stunningly beautiful female Shepherd were laughing merrily, along with two other identical Shepherds. The scene faded and Ron shook his head. 'Just another dream...' he thought, but, somewhere deep inside him, he longed for it to be real. He laid his head down and whined softly as the others continued laughing.


	17. Oh Yarrow where art thou!

**_Zs99: Whew...That took longer than expected! This is a KuroKaze based chapter. Originally, it was just gonna be a bonus chapter, but I really decided against it being a "bonus" in the end. Yeah, so, uh...Oh! If you haven't checked out my profile yet, please do so, especially if you are a regular reader of this FF. There is a lot of into on my profile about AWOL and it's character, not to mention the attacks, strange words, and little known or weird facts about this FF. I can not tell you when the next one will come out, cuz...heh-heh...my highly forgetful family forgot to pay the phone bill...I'm lucky to be able to get on right now and put this up. But, never fear! For my daddy's gonna pay it tomorrow...well, at least the phone part...Enjoy this one!_**

**_Zs99 ranting: I can't believe I typed this much! My usual restrictions for my chapters are only a little over 3000 words and 6 pages per chapter. But, for this one, I have around 4600 words and it extended for 10 pages!! My God, why cant I stop typing!?_**

* * *

"That's not fair! Why does that...that...cracked up puppy dog get to go and I don't?!" KuroKaze was livid. He hissed angrily at Sarge as the Shepherd tried to explain. "You're too young, Kuro! Ron gets to go because he's 28 and you are how old?!" The young cat drew his claws through his flame red tail. "Doesn't matter, I want to go! Ryne let me go when we went to save Fyre!"

"Well Ryne's not here!" Sarge retorted. It was true. Just a few hours ago, Ryne had left to go on a patrol with Fyre, Flippy, and Alam. Kuro accidentally clawed his tail too deeply. "Ow!" He yowled and drew his tongue across the lightly bleeding scratch. Sarge pointed at him. "See? If you hurt yourself that easily, what do you plan to do if an enemy gets his fangs into you?!"

Kuro bared his fangs. "I'll fight, just like I did when we saved Fyre!" Sarge just shook his head. He knew Kuro did well in that battle, but..."No is no, Kuro. Obey my orders and you can join us next time." Sarge turned and, ignoring the cat's yowls of protest, left along with Ron, Great, and another Varg dog named Jaguar.

"Hmph." Kuro turned and went into Larka's infirmary. Larka turned and stared at the cat as Kuro plopped into her bed. "And why this sudden intrusion of my living space, kitten?" Kuro hissed at her. "I ain't a kitten!" Larka shrugged. "Whatever. Still, why are you here?"

"Sarge wouldn't let me join his patrol." Larka picked up a bunch of yarrow and chewed it. "Well, there's your problem. You asked Sarge. If I were you, I'd have asked Ryne. She'd have let you come." Kuro laid his head down on a soft pillow. "But I want to prove that I'm a worthy member of the Squad. But...all of them think of me as a kitten..."

Larka padded over to Crow, who had been wounded in a battle a few days ago. The white wolf gently placed the mush on Crow's stomach wound, which was healing marvelously, and spread it around with her tongue. After she was finished, she turned to Kuro, her mouth smeared with the chewed up herbs. "Kuro, you are a kitten, but you've already proven that you're more than ready to be in the Squad. Ryne knows that, and that's all that matters."

The wolf dapped a paw in some water and washed her face. Crow turned her head and looked at Kuro. "KuroKaze," The black Akita spoke "your day will come soon. When the battle against the demon bear arrives, you can prove to everyone you are a member of the Suicide Corps."

The black cat curled his long tail around and placed it over his head, a habit he had when he was embarrassed. The fact that an actually member of the Corps, and Crow at that, had said that to him filled him with joy and a sense of accomplishment, plus a bit of embarrassment. "Thanks Crow."

KuroKaze, with a much improved attitude jumped up and headed for the exit. "Oh, Kuro, do you have a moment?" Kuro stopped in his tracks and lowered his head, looking under himself at Larka. "Yeah?" Larka sniffed at her shelf, right where she kept her supply of yarrow. There was one little stem left, which was not enough for another application to Crow's wound. Larka picked it up in her mouth and lopped over to Kuro. With one nudge, she tipped the cat over onto his back, so that he was looking up at the wolf. Larka dropped the yarrow on his face.

"I need you to go out, carefully, mind you, and bring me back some more yarrow. That's the last piece and I need more to treat Crow with." Kuro happily jumped up and gave his chest a few licks to smooth his fur. "Yeah, sure Larka. I'll bring you back so much, that you'll be begging me to take it away." Kuro grabbed up the yarrow and bolted out, his trademark flame red tail flying behind him. Larka smiled and shook her head, then headed back to her shelf. "So Crow, do you need some poppy seeds? You look tired and..." Crow groaned as Larka started to babble, knowing she might go on forever.

**(Timeskip--45 minutes)**

KuroKaze sniffed around in a patch of bushes, striving to find the telltale scent of yarrow. Suddenly, he jumped into the air and landed in a heap of fur. He hurriedly rubbed at his nose, peeling off a spider web and a very angry looking black widow. Kuro hurried away from the bushes, glad to have gotten away without a lethal bite.

The black cat padded into a clearing filled with long grass. His red tail waved above the stems as he sniffed along the ground. The little stem of yarrow that Larka had given him brushed against the grass and snapped in half. Kuro kept on walking, oblivious to what had happened.

He sighed as he emerged from the grass. 'No yarrow there...' He thought sadly as he dropped the piece in his mouth, and froze. It was now nothing more than a sorry little stick! All of the leaves and flowers were somewhere in the grass. "Oh, no!" He yowled to himself and ran back into the grass.

After a few minutes of searching, he caught the slight, yet distinguishable scent of the yarrow. After a few more feet, the scent washed over him, overpoweringly so. He saw, through the grass, a bush with the signature leaves and flowers of yarrow. Joyfully, Kuro pushed his head through a screen grass, which was taller than the rest, and came face to face with a snake.

The snake reared up and flared out its hood. Kuro back up in fright. 'Oh, great! A cobra!' The cobra, who was an absolute monster, especially since it was taller than Great, hissed and bared its fangs, making a lunge at Kuro to scare him off. The snake hissed violently and reared higher. Kuro suddenly realized he could understand the enraged serpent. "Sssstupid beassssst! Leave thissssss place, kitten! Leave, or I will sssssstrike!"

Kuro's ears laid back in anger. "I aint a kitten! And I'll show you!" Kuro surged forward. In his mind, he had been called a kitten one to many times! And he'd prove it, right here, right now!

The cobra hissed and struck, his fangs barely missing the black cat as he darted by. "Ha! Missed me!" Kuro yowled as he headed for the yarrow bush. Suddenly, he was struck across the face as the cobra swung his thick, coiled body. Kuro tumbled, disappearing through the screen of grass. The snake hissed in triumph and slithered after him.

KuroKaze sat up and shook his head. The sickeningly sweet scent of snake washed over him as the cobra exploded through the grass. The snake's face went blank and he stopped hissing. The area was empty, Kuro had vanished. If the snake could growl, he would've as he turned and slithered back into his den under the yarrow bush.

KuroKaze peeked out from the tree he was hiding behind. He panted heavily, adrenaline still pounding through his veins. "That was too close..." He whispered to himself as he turned and sat, looking forward on the branch. After a moment, he turned and looked out again.

The snake's head was barely visible as he looked out from his den amongst the yarrow roots. Kuro pounded his paw against the branch in frustration. "Damn..." He muttered. "How the hell am I supposed to get it now?!" He turned forward again and slumped against the bark.

Suddenly, something caught his eye. A piece of black cloth was bundled in the golden grass. Kuro smiled to himself.

"What luck!" He whispered as he dropped to the ground and crept over. As he got close, a smell hit him and he gagged. The cloth was a shirt and that shirt covered a black creature. Its eyes were wide open and clouded and there was a pair of fang marks on its neck. He kept his paws on his nose as he stared at it. Obviously, one of Akakabuto's followers had fallen victim to the snake.

"Oh well, I've gotta do what I've gotta do..." Kuro mumbled as he closed his eyes and reached out. He felt his claws close on the shirt and he gave a tug, feeling the material come off easily. His eyes flew open as one of the dead creature's paws land on his foot.

If silence wasn't the key, Kuro would've yowled in fright and horror. He just averted his head, closed his eyes, and backed up until his back was against the tree again. He panted as he opened one eye and looked around, then gave a sigh and went to work.

**(Timeskip--10 minutes)**

The cobra dozed drowsily in the warm autumn sunlight, enjoying the warmth while it lasted. The grass suddenly rustled violently. The cobra reared up, flaring his hood and hissed. There was something black in the grass. "That kitten hassssss no brainsssss!" He hissed venomously as he shot out of his den and, evilly sank his fangs into the bundle. "Ha!"

The snake wheeled around, his fangs still locked deep into the shirt, pumping venom. KuroKaze had launched himself out of the grass near the yarrow bush and grabbed a bunch of leaves as he sped by. The cobra furiously spat out the cloth and surged after Kuro.

The black cat dared not look back as he heard the snake's hiss and the grass shuddering and crunching as the enraged serpent came after him. Kuro wasn't too worried, he could easily out run him, but that wasn't the problem. 'Ryne...or Sarge for that matter, will kill me if I lead a super poisonous snake to HQ!!' He thought frantically as he bolted through the woods.

Out of the corner of his eye, he swore he caught a flash of silver and thought of Fyre. 'Oh great, now everyone will think I'm a stupid idiot! Running for my life from a dumb worm...a dumb, dangerous worm...' He thought bitterly as he launched himself into a tree. His claws cut grooves into the bark as he swung around and stared down at the snake, and hissed, all of his fur spiked up and his fangs bared.

The snake suddenly flattened his hood and, lowering himself to the ground, slithered frantically away. Kuro perked his ears, then smirked. "Now you flee for your life?! Come on, you cowardly worm! I'm the Dark Wind, KuroKaze! I'm ten times deadlier than any mongoose! Yeah, you better slither away! You sorry excuse for a greased rope!!" He watched in satisfaction as the snake's tail vanished.

Kuro nodded to himself and put the leaves into his mouth. He pulled a face as he leapt from branch to branch, completely unaware that a pair of ruby red eyes were watching him closely.

**(Timeskip--25 minutes)**

Larka nodded to KuroKaze as he padded into her infirmary, his mouth full of yarrow. "Well, I see you got it! Good job!" She praised Kuro for his efforts as he dropped the mouthful onto the floor. Larka pawed it over and started to place it on her shelf. "Hmm...only enough for two more treatments...I'll give you a bag and send you out tomorrow, if you're up to it. I need a lot more, just incase there are any other serious wounds, which, I'm sure, there will be."

KuroKaze felt panic well up in him. That would mean facing that cobra again and Kuro seriously doubted that he could trick him again.

That night, the black cat slept fitfully. In his dreams, a giant cobra reared before him. When he tried to run, he found out that he was tangled in the branches of the yarrow bush. The snake hissed savagely at him, then struck.

Kuro jerked his head up, his fur slick with sweat. He looked around and, to his relief, found out he was still curled up in his hammock in HQ. "Just a dream..." He whispered to himself as he laid his head back down.

**(Timeskip--5 hours)**

"Uhh..." Kuro groaned as a cold nose poked him. He opened one eye to a slit and peered at Larka. The white wolf was standing before him with a leather bag in her mouth. She dipped her head and set it on the ground. "Come on, sleepy paws, you've got a job to do." Kuro groaned and tried to hide under his covers, but Larka grabbed his tail and pulled him out.

Kuro yowled as he was torn from his hammock and hit the ground. Ryne looked over from where she was sharpening a blade. "And what is this job of yours, Larka?" The wolf let go off Kuro's tail as she answered, letting the cat plop to the ground. "Oh, I sent him out to get some yarrow for me. I need more, so, if you don't mind, I'd like to send him out again."

Ryne nodded, then focused her eyes again on her knife. "I approve. Good to see him actually working. That's a step closer to the status of a Corps member." Kuro, who was dusting himself off, heard this comment and immediately brightened up. "Really?!" Ryne nodded, still looking at her knife. "Yeah, if you can follow orders efficiently and put your life on the line for a comrade, then I can't see why you can't be a member...but..."

Kuro perked his ears. Suddenly Ryne's voice had darkened. "...you also have to be able to kill ruthlessly...like a demon, in some cases..." She went silent and, standing up, walked away, signifying that the conversation was over. Kuro laid his ears back and seemed to shrink for a second. Larka blinked, then nudged him with her nose again. "Come on, I need more yarrow."

"But, I'm hungry!" Larka flicked her ears. "You can eat when you come back, k? Right now, Crow needs medicine. So go." Kuro growled softly, but bolted when Larka snarled and snapped at him.

**(Timeskip--45 minutes)**

Kuro stared out of the tall grass at the yarrow bush. He had been hoping against hope that the snake was out hunting. His pulse quickened. The den was empty. But, for how long? 'I have to be quick...' He thought to himself as he slunk out of the grass.

The smell of yarrow was overpowering. Realizing how dangerous the situation was, KuroKaze hurried to gather as much yarrow as possible. The cobra was obviously smarter than the average snake. He had chosen a place that would mask his scent. Not only that, but creatures would come straight to him as they tried to get at the yarrow.

The black cat stuff a last piece of yarrow into the bag. "That should be enough..." "Yesssss, quite enough, kitten!" Kuro stiffened, then threw himself down. The cobra shot overhead, impaling his fangs into the yarrow trunk. Kuro held the bag in his teeth as he ran, trying to make it out of the clearing into the grass. The snake wrenched his fangs from the bark and hissed maliciously. "Oh, no you don't!"

A thick coil slammed down in front Kuro. The black cat dug his claws into the earth as he skidded to a halt, then bolted to the side. The snake's coils again crashed in front of him. Soon, any exit out had been blocked by coils.

Kuro looked frantically from side to side, but everywhere he looked, he saw nothing but the coils of the snake. The cobra reared up before him. "Sssssstupid kitten. You ssssssshould have ssssssstayed away. Now you'll die, sssssssslowly..."

Kuro dropped the bag and snarled. "You won't, no, CAN'T kill me!" KuroKaze's claws shot out and he dashed forward. The snake swung at him, but Kuro ducked under it and attacked. The cobra reared back, hissing in pain and rage as Kuro's claws and fangs latched into him, right where the cobra couldn't reach with his fangs. The cobra thrashed his head around, shaking Kuro's body like a rag doll. The young cat kept his eyes shut tight as he made his body go limp and kept his fangs and claws locked into the scaly flesh of his enemy.

"Let go, brat!!" The snake hissed as he swung his head. Kuro felt his fangs slash through flesh and scales as his fangs ripped out of the snake. With a yowl, the black cat tumbled across the ground, kicking up grass and dirt, finally crashing into the yarrow bush. The cobra panted as blood coursed down his scaled stomach from the ripping wounds on his neck. He narrowed his eyes and glared venomously at the still form of the cat. "Foolissssssh little pesssssst..."

Kuro lifted his head and shook it. A shadow descended on him and he looked up. The huge cobra was reared above him, poison dripping from his barred fangs. His tongue flickered out as he hissed, his voice ful of evil and malicious intent. "Time to die!!" Kuro closed his eyes and waited. He was fast, but he couldn't escape this time. Everywhere there was either snake or the tangle of yarrow. 'This isn't a dream!' His mind screamed over and over again as he waited for death.

Savage snarling suddenly broke out, intermixed with a pained hiss. Kuro's eyes snapped open. Standing in front of him was a silver creature. She was silver from nose tip to her black tipped tail. Her fur was fluffed out as she snarled at the snake.

Kuro looked up at the cobra. He was rearing, flailing in pain as three others latched their fangs and claws into the flesh of the snake. A jet black one with a splash of gold fur between her ears was latched on the snake's head, her fangs and claws slicing deeply. Two others, one dark and the other light brown in color, were biting deep into the cobra's back, drawing blood.

A snarl suddenly came from behind Kuro. The black cat turned, then quickly ducked as another creature, this one pure white with ruby red eyes, burst from the grass. He was much bigger than any of the others and the snake was almost knock clean over as he leapt, sinking his milk white teeth into the serpent's throat, right under the chin where Kuro had bit earlier. His black claws flexed, swinging upwards to embed themselves in the snake's throat, and he began ripping madly.

KuroKaze watched in amazement as the snake's thrashing got weaker and weaker. The silver one turned to Kuro. "Hey!" The cat jumped, his fur fluffed out. She covered her mouth with her black paws and laughed. "Hahahahaha! Sorry to startle you, cat!" Kuro hurriedly brushed his fur down in embarrassment. "Anyway, you were in quite a situation, weren't you, cat?"

Kuro glared at her. "I could've taken care of myself, thank you very much, you...you...whatever you are!" She laughed again. "Silly kitty, don't you know a mongoose when you see one?"

"Mongoose?" She nodded. "Yeah, why else would we attack a cobra?" She turned her head and looked at the others. The cobra was still able to rear up, but his hissing was very light. The white mongoose's face and claws were dyed crimson from the blood that flowed from the snake's neck as he dug his teeth and claws deeper, cutting off any air supply.

Kuro let his fur lie flat. He remembered what his mother had told him about mongooses before she died. 'A mongoose is always your friend. Remember: Akakabuto's allies are snakes, while ours are the snake killers, mongooses.'

The silver mongoose raised a hind paw and scratched at her ear. "So, kitty, what's your name?" "Don't call me kitty! My name's KuroKaze, but you can call me Kuro." She turned her head and looked at him from one red eye. "'Kaze'? What a coincident! My name's ShirubaKaze, but you can call me Silver!" "Wait, how come you have Kaze at the end of your name?! Are you making fun of me?!"

Silver sat up and waved her tail. "No, of course not! For as long as anyone can remember, my whole family have had Kaze at the end of their first names. That white one there," She pointed to the white mongoose. "He's my father. His name's KamiKaze, and he prefers that you call him by his full name, since he is the leader of our colony. The black one with the golden head fur, that's my mother. Her name's DokuKaze, but you can call her Poison. And the other two, the brown ones, are my brothers, KaneKaze, but just call him Metal, and TsuchiKaze, but just call him Earth."

"Is he alright, Silver?" The white mongoose, KamiKaze, had walked up to them. His face, chest, and paws were stained with the snake's blood. Kuro looked over to the snake. He was laying on the ground, his body limp and bloody. The other mongooses were milling about, waiting for their leader. Silver nodded. "Yeah," She turned to Kuro. "You are okay, aren't you kit- I mean, Kuro?"

Kuro nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for helping, sir." Normally, Kuro wouldn't have bothered to call anyone 'sir', but, as he looked at this blood soaked mongoose, fear rose up in him. If those fangs could tear the life from a snake, they could certainly rip him open easily.

KamiKaze nodded. "Good. Silver" Silver perked her ears and stood straight. "Yes, Father?" He jerked his head at the snake, where Silver's mother and brothers were gathering it up. "Go and help them." Silver nodded energetically. "Sure, dad." She turned to Kuro and fluttered her eyelashes. "Bye, Kuro." Kuro's mouth dropped open in a dumbfounded look. Was she actually FLIRTING with him?!

KamiKaze's voice cut into his thoughts. "You're a friend of those dogs that have been running around in the forest, aren't you?" Kuro nodded, his eyes fixed on Silver as she helped haul the snake away. "Cat, eyes up here." Kuro blinked and looked up at the white mongoose. He had a dangerous look in his eyes. "Answer the question."

"Uh, yeah. Wait-how did you know!?" KamiKaze glared at him. "I'm not stupid, boy! Even someone with one eye can notice when WarDogs have been around. Still, even though you all are against Akakabuto and his forces, I refuse to join your little army. I have no intentions of dragging my family into a bloody war that we can't win."

Silver looked over at her father as he chewed Kuro's ear off. She growled slightly and turned to her mother. "Mom, why aren't we joining the fight!?" Poison looked up. Her red eyes had a sad look to them. "Oh, Silver. He's just doing what's best for us." Her eyes then got a mad and frustrated look to them. "Even if it's the coward's way..."

Silver turned her eyes down and started working again. She had never told her mother what she had saw one day. She shivered as she banished the picture from her head and continued working.

"Do you understand, cat?" Kuro was miserable. If he thought he knew what nagging was before, he was sadly mistaken. "I said, do you understand?" Kuro looked to the side and flattened his ears to his head. "Yes, sir, I understand..." KamiKaze snorted and nodded. "Good, now be off with you!" The mongoose flicked his head. KuroKaze slunk by him on his belly, not taking his eyes from the mongoose's red ones.

He padded by Silver and she gave him a knowing look. "Don't take it personal, he treats everyone like that." She flinched and looked at her mother. "But, be careful. I hear the red-headed idiot, you know who," Kuro nodded. 'Akakabuto...' "anyway, he has a monster of some sorts. I hear he feeds dogs to it. Please tell your friends to be careful."

"Uh...thanks, I guess." She smiled at him. KuroKaze gulped and hurriedly picked up his bag of yarrow and ran.

**(Timeskip--25 minutes)**

KuroKaze looked carefully around, then slid noiselessly into the HQ. "Well, well, well. Look what the bear drug in." Kuro turned. Sarge was sitting in the corner. Ryne looked up from studying a map with Flippy. Kuro glared at Sarge, trying to act smug. "Isn't that 'look what the CAT drug in'?" Sarge shrugged. "But then that would be a compliment, especially since you ARE a cat."

Kuro narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to protest, when Larka emerged from her infirmary. "Oh, good, you're back." She padded over to the black cat and sniffed at him. Her eyes flashed. "Hmm...okay, come with me."

As soon as Kuro crossed into the infirmary, Larka rounded on him. "I smell snake on you!" She stopped and sniffed again, naming the smells, "And blood! And mongoose! What've you been up to, cat?!" Kuro backed up from the snarling wolf. Larka realized she was snarling and stopped, clearing her throat. "Sorry, but what have you been doing?" Kuro scuffed his hind paw through the sandy soil of the infirmary.

"Uh, I kinda had a fight with a cobra..." Larka's eyes flew open. She rushed over to the young cat and looked him over. "A cobra?! Are you okay? Did he fang, I mean, bite you?!" Kuro shook his head. "N-no, he didn't get me. Well, with his fangs, that is. He kinda smacked me around with his coils, but I'm not hurt! See?!" He jumped up and down, waving his arms.

Larka nodded, eyeing him carefully. "So it seems, but I think it affected you mentally. You weren't half as stupid earlier today." She said casually as she picked up the yarrow and headed over to Crow, who just shook her head. Sarge on the other hand, who was passing by at that exact moment, burst out laughed. A rock flew out of nowhere and struck him in the head. "Shut up, you idiot."

Sarge rubbed at his head. "Oh, come on, Ryne. Lighten up a bit. Turn that frown upside down!" He pulled the corners of his cheeks into a goofy looking smile. Ryne snorted, but didn't say anything. Sarge was embolden. He placed on paw against the wall. "Do you want to get any uglier?" He ducked and ran for his life as a few more rocks, a root, a knife, and Flippy's beret flew at him. Kuro peeked out. Ryne was glaring in Sarge's direction and Flippy had his head covered by the map, looking around the HQ. "Why do you have a map on your head, Sgt?"

"Uh...hat hair?" Kuro cocked his head. "It can't be that bad." He looked at Ryne, who was retrieving her knife and the beret. "Can it?" Ryne walked back over to Flippy and quickly snatched the map away and shoved the beret back where it belonged. Kuro grabbed his sides and doubled over in laughter. "That looks SO stupid!"

Ryne had shoved Flippy's beret back on so hard and quick, that is was over his eyes and crooked, not to mention it crushed his ears to his head. She glared at the map and shook it in Flippy's face once he had fixed his beret. "Now how am I supposed to read this?! It's hard enough trying to figure out what everything means, so why'd you go and do that?!" She rolled it up and smacked him across the head with it.

Kuro fell backwards, tears running from his scrunched up eyes as laughter wracked his body. Ryne frowned and tossed the map back onto the table. "Well, I'm glad you're happy, you little ant." Kuro continued laughing. What a day!


	18. I'll kill you!

**_Zs99: Kinda in a hurry here. Cant talk for long. Uh...whatever, enjoy._**

* * *

Viktor stood still and silent, looking up at the huge mountain-like fortress of Akakabuto. He snorted. "Looks haphazard, doesn't it, Bozlef?" Bozlef smiled cruelly and bobbed his head in agreement. "Yeah, I bet a little breeze would blow it over, easily!" Viktor bared his fangs in his brothers face. "Be quiet! Keep your voice low when you insult something!"

Bozlef lowered his ears. "Yes brother." Viktor swung his head back around as monstrous footfalls filled the area. He listened as some of his followers whimpered in fear as Akakabuto's form appeared. Viktor growled, wanting to punish the whimpering ones, but determined to keep his form still.

Akakabuto squinted his one eye as he emerged into the full moonlight. Easily twice the size of a normal bear, the red backed demon was a impressive and horrifying sight to any and all. Powerful muscles rippled beneath his pelt as he swung his head around, taking in the scene of the hundreds of dogs, as spit dripped from his mouth. He bared his fangs and snarled, locking his eyes on Viktor, who stood boldly out front.

"Why have you come here, dogs!? Do you wish death upon yourselves?!" Viktor, to the shock of his followers, lowered himself in a bow. "Oh gloriously Lord Akakabuto. What you see before you are some of the smarter canines. We choose not to fight against you and, instead, offer our lives to you, in servitude. Please allow us to fight for you."

Akakabuto grunted and scrapped his claws against the ground. "And, what, I ask you, do you plan to accomplish, joining me today?" Viktor stood and locked eyes with the massive bear. "Merely the honor to serve under you." Akakabuto snorted. "Like I believe that, but who am I to pass up fresh blood. You may serve, but you are not permitted to enter Gajou. But you, Shepherd. I'd like to talk to you, in private."

Viktor nodded, then snapped at his followers. "If any of you puts a paw inside of the fortress, I'll tear it off, feed it to you, then rip out your guts and stuff them down your throat! Understand!?" All of the dogs dropped to the ground, mumbling an understanding. Viktor turned back to Akakabuto and started walking forward.

The bear watched him come, then turned and led him into the fortress. As they walked down the dark tunnel, lit only by a few candles here and there, Akakabuto questioned the dog. "Where do you come from, Shepherd? And what is your name?" Viktor kept his distance, on the right of Akakabuto, as he answered. "Viktor, lord, and I come from the far north, where I was trained as a WarDog in a brutal camp." "And, Viktor, in all your travels, did you see a green Varg bear with a red head stripe?"

Viktor thought. He had seen and killed may Varg bears in his time, but none with a red head stripe. Well, there was Flippy, whom Viktor had captured a while ago, but he didn't see a red stripe...'Unless it was under the beret...' Viktor thought. 'Still, this savage bear need not know of it...'

"No, my lord, I have not seen such a bear. I have murdered many, but none with any red stripes." Akakabuto grunted in disappointment. "Too bad, I'd very much like to see him alive." Viktor cocked his head. "May I be so bold as to ask why?" Akakabuto turned his head. If his eye was there, he'd have glared at the Shepherd. "Hmph, fine. I wish to execute him properly, and to prove to everyone that no one is safe from Akakabuto, understand, dog?!"

Viktor turned his head forward. "Very well, my lord, I understand very well. But what is this form of execution?" An evil smile curled onto the bear's brutal features. "That is a good question. And, if you don't mind disposing of one of your followers, I'll show you." Viktor smirked. Now was his chance to get rid of one of the cowards who whimpered. "Not at all, lord. I'll go get him." Viktor turned and ran back through the tunnel.

He returned moments later, a gray colored dog hurrying to keep up. Akakabuto nodded, then continued walking. The gray dog stayed still for a moment, only to receive a pain bite to his tail from Viktor. The Shepherd snarled and stayed behind the dog blocking his escape route. The dog lowered his ears and trotted miserably onward.

**(Timeskip--5 minutes)**

Akakabuto stood at the rim of a pit. Viktor looked around, taking in everything. The roof was open, allowing a stream of moonlight into the area. Viktor looked into the pit. The dim moonlight lit up the various bones and remains of different creatures, all of them looking like they had been gnawed thoroughly.

Suddenly, Akakabuto moved like lightning. He struck out, knocking the gray dog into the pit with one terrified howl. The dog thudded to the ground and levered himself up on his shaky front paws. He looked up at Viktor and Akakabuto, then to the side where a dark hole was located.

He whined in fright. A pair of glowing yellow eyes suddenly appeared, glaring hungrily at him. The dog howled and ran to the side, jumping up, and howling at Viktor. "Lord Viktor, help me!" Viktor laughed cruelly at him. "You sealed your fate when you whimpered, coward!" A roar rocketed through the area as a huge, monstrous black form launched itself from the hole and rammed into the dog, knocking him backwards.

A powerful set of fangs crunched into the dog's chest as the beast bit down hard. The dog yowled, then died as the beast ripped his chest out, hungrily devouring the mouthful of flesh, blood, and bone. Viktor smiled to himself. That truly was a way to kill someone!

**(Timeskip--10 hours) (At HQ)**

"So, Silver, to what do we owe the pleasure of a visit?" The young mongoose stood on her hind legs and looked around HQ. Her black tipped tail twitched happily as she turned to Ryne. Days earlier, KuroKaze had introduced the Akita to the mongoose. Ryne sensed no malicious intent from the young Lera, so she agreed to let her come around. Still, there was something that almost clung to her fur, a type of evil. 'But...it's not from her...' Ryne thought to herself as she watched the mongoose scratch her ear with a hind paw.

"Oh, no reason, I just like to visit!" Ryne shook her head and sighed. "That's dangerous, Silver. What if someone caught you and tortured you for info?" Silver rolled around in the sand of the floor. "Eh, they cant get me, I'm too fast!" "Silver!"

KuroKaze arrived like a black tornado. He barreled into the mongoose, sending her tumbling across the floor, spraying sand everywhere. Sarge walked in at that moment and received a face full of sand. He grabbed his eye, grunted, and started feeling his way to the infirmary. "Kuro, when I can see again, I'm gonna rip that stupid tail from your ass!"

Kuro and Silver paid him no mind as they continued to wrestle, still scattering sand everywhere. Ever since he met her, Kuro and Silver had become close friends and were, virtually, inseparable. Ryne lifted up her paw and placed it on Kuro's tail. "Hold it. I don't want you rolling around and causing harm to anyone." Kuro grabbed his tail and pulled it from Ryne. Silver sat up and wagged her tail. "Can we go outside and play, Ryne? Please?"

Ryne glared at them. "What am I?! Your mother?! Go out, be silent, and do NOT reveal the location of HQ!" Kuro and Silver quickly turned tail and dashed for the opening. "Oh, and if you get caught, that's your problem, not mine!" She perked her ears up as she felt eyes on her. Wheeling around, she caught Flippy staring at her.

"What did I tell you about staring at me?! Stop it!" He blinked and turned his head to the side. "Ryne..." She sighed and turned. Her brother had just emerged from the infirmary. "What is it, Fyre?" Fyre leaned against a wall. "Larka says Crow will be better in a day or so. I think, once she's healed, we should start fighting again." Ryne's neck fur rose. She didn't like his tone. "Are you challenging me, brother?"

Fyre glared at her. "What if I am?" Lately, with the extreme lack of action, tensions had been building between the two. Without a way to get rid of energy and with nothing to fight against, everything had been building up to a breaking point. Flippy seemed to sense this. "Uh, Ryne, I think you should..." Both Ryne and Fyre turned to him. "Silence, bear!" Flippy moved back a full 5 paces and remained quiet.

They turned back to each other, glaring at each other, waiting for either one to back down. Padding at the entrance attracted both of their attentions. Ron had a bunch of yarrow in is mouth, making his voice mumbled. "Oh, Ryne, this is for you." He dropped it between the both of them. "It's just a parting gift."

"Wait, where are you going?" Ron scratched his ear. "Back home. I don't belong here. I was only staying until I was sure Crow as going to be okay." Fyre crossed his arms. "We could really use you." Ron stared straight into his eyes. "I know, but I've taught Larka a lot, so you can depend on her." He transferred his gaze back to Ryne. "And don't worry, if you ever need me, you know where to find me."

He lopped over to Flippy. "You take care too, bear. Don't let them catch ya again." He said with a smile. He turned towards the entrance and climbed out. Ryne dashed forward. "Wait, Ron." He stuck his head back in. "Yeah?" Ryne heaved herself out, causing Ron to back up. "I'm coming with you. Flippy. Follow." Fyre turned and narrowed his eyes as Flippy jumped up and rushed to get away from the Tora-ge's presence.

"Fyre, you hold the fort down while I'm gone." Fyre crossed his arms and walked off. "Yeah, whatever." Ryne turned to Flippy. "He just a bit sore. He wants action...well, so do I, but never mind."

**(Timeskip--30 minutes)**

Ryne stood on the edge of the Raging Stream. Ron stretched and shook himself. "Well, it's been fun Ryne, but I've go to get back to my own life." He would've said more, but a butterfly flew past his nose. Immediately, he leapt after it, missed, and splashed into the river. His head popped up, coughing and snorting out water. "Darn, see ya later, Ryne!" He vanished beneath the surface as he headed to his home.

Flippy looked into the river and shivered. "I could never do that willingly again..." Ryne shivered, remembering her own harrowing experiences in the stream. The first time she fell in, it was saving Sarge from an assassin, the last time she was thrown in by Viktor. And, each time, Flippy had jumped in to save her.

"Uh, Ryne?" She turned to Flippy. "Yeah, Flip?" He fiddled around in his jacket pocket. Slowly, he pulled out her tail ring and held it out. "Do you want this back?" Ryne smiled and shook her head. "No, I gave it to you. It's yours now. Just take care of it. It was my mom's before she...passed."

Flippy carefully place the object back into his pocket. "You never speak much about your family. That's the first time you've mentioned a parent." Ryne sighed and turned to the river, watching it bubble and surge along. "Nothing much to say. Mom's dead and, more than likely, so is my Dad. Fyre's my only living blood relative. Heh-heh," She laughed slightly "Some say my bloodline's cursed. But, I doubt that." Flippy chuckled lightly. "And, why would they say that?"

Ryne shook her head in agitation. "Why must you know?!" Flippy held his paws up. "Uh, no reason!" Ryne frowned at him. "Don't dig to deep in someone else's business, you might hurt yourself..." Flippy looked to the side. "Er, sorry..." Ryne swatted him across the head with a branch. "Oh, lighten up. My past is nothing much...just a load of darkness and blood soaked horror..." She whispered the last part.

Ryne's head suddenly snapped up. "Down!" She launched herself at Flippy and knocked him back into the bushes. A huge white bear suddenly crashed through the forest, his massive clawed paws thudding down on the stone where Flippy had stood seconds before. The rock face splintered. He reared up on his hind paws and roared in Ryne and Flippy's direction. Flippy's eyes were wide with horror. Ryne snarled as her fur stood up. "What the hell!? Where did he come from!?"

The bear snorted and looked around. Alam came out of the trees all of a sudden, sinking his fangs deep into the bear's shoulder. It didn't even faze him. The bear reared back and easily threw the dog off. Alam crashed to the ground and looked up, quickly moving as the white bear's paw thudded where he had been.

Ryne stayed low as she and Flippy watched Alam fight the bear. The Shepherd braced his paws, then rocketed at the bear. He struck the bear in the shoulder again and got a deep grip on his fur and muscle. The bear roared in pain as Alam started to rotate his body, shredding the mouthful of flesh. The bear staggered backwards, close to the river, but stopped at the edge. The bear reached up and slashed at Alam, sending the dog flying. Blood leaked from his shoulder as he stood and ran back at the bear.

Suddenly, there was a flash of red light. The red light slashed passed the bear. Flippy blinked, then turned to Ryne, only to find her missing. He quickly turned back as a roar of pain reached his ears. The bear was falling backwards, blood flying in a stream from his shoulder. The bear impaled his claws into the stone and, with unbelievable strength, hung onto the rocks even as the river tore at him.

Alam had dashed forward and was pulling Ryne from the stream. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were wide open. Flippy ran out and skidded to a halt. "What'd she do?! She was there one moment, then gone the next!" Alam nodded, licked at his bloody shoulder, then answered. "It's an attack that dogs, Varg or WarDog, know, but we very rarely use it."

Alam was suddenly jerked forward, accidentally releasing his leader. Ryne roared as a set of jaws snapped into her tail. The bear had surged forward and now had her tail in his teeth. The river was pulling him away. "I'll drown you dog for that insult!" Ryne snarled and reared over, impaling her fangs into his nose. Whipping out her knives, she slashed four deep blows across his massive face. The bear let go and vanished underwater.

Flippy ran over to Ryne and grabbed her. She was still clutching her two blades and panting. "Wow...that was too close!" Flippy stopped pulling her and sat down next to her. "Are you ok?" Alam looked at them, then, backing up, vanished into the bushes, heading back to HQ to report to Fyre.

Ryne looked at her tail. It was sore, but, when she waved it, it didn't hurt too much. "I'm fine. It's not broken. Whew!" She sprawled backwards and closed her eyes. "Ryne," "Eh?"

"What was that attack you used?" She opened her eyes and stared at him. "Attack? Oh, yeah. It's called the Lightning Attack. Most dogs know it, but very few can use it without causing death from overexertion. It puts strain on one's body when used..." A roar shattered the air. Ryne jerked up and looked towards the river.

The white bear was swimming powerfully up the stream, his teeth bared and madness glittering in his eyes. "I'll kill you for this insult dog!! You'll wish you were never born when Skeevak gets through with you!!" Ryne stood up, adrenaline pounding through her veins.

She swung her head around, looking for anything to stop the demonic bear. "Ryne!" Flippy had run to a tree. It was massive, but dead and hanging over the river. "We can knock this in and it'll push him down the river!" Ryne nodded and dashed over, throwing her weight against the tree along with Flippy.

It budged slightly, but didn't fall. She looked at the bear out of the corner of her eye. He was getting closer! "Push harder, Flippy!" Sweat popped out on his face as he shoved harder. "Trying...!" There was a rushing sound. Kuro and Silver leapt from a nearby tree and hit the tree. "We're here to help ya, Ryne!" Kuro grunted as he pushed. The silver mongoose nodded her head and pressed her back to the tree.

Under the weight and strength of the four of them, the tree started to give way. Skeevak looked up and saw the tree bearing down on him. He picked up speed, trying to get away. Unfortunately, the tree stopped falling. Silver's eyes went wide. "What?!"

Skeevak saw what happened and slowed down, laughing darkly. "Heh-heh-heh...bad luck on your part..." "Oh yeah? You dirty bear!" A silver flash came out of seemingly nowhere and struck the tree. Under the force of Fyre's charge, along with everyone else, the tree toppled over. Skeevak gave a startled cry as the tree crashed down on him. He was driven underwater and washed away.

Flippy gave a cry and lunged forward. Ryne had been pulled over by the tree and had fallen headfirst into the river. Flippy's upper body disappeared as he dove after her. Fyre grabbed the back of his jacket and hauled him out. Ryne, with Flippy's beret gripped in her fangs, coughed up some water and shook herself, scattering water everywhere. "Whew, almost went in again, thanks Flippy, thanks Fyre." She turned to them and blinked, then looked at the top of Flippy's head. Slowly, she reached up and grabbed the beret, horror slowly creeping across her face.

With his beret missing, he just stood there, his eyes wide, the crest of red fur that marked him stood out, visible to all. Ryne transferred her gaze to Fyre, who was starting at Flippy with a dumbfounded look, but she could see it was quickly changing to rage. "Akakabuto's demon seed..." He growled and ground his teeth, his fur quickly standing up, then he sprang, snarling angrily. "I'll kill you!!"


	19. Divine Intervention

**_Zs99: I really dont wanna say anything right now, just read and enjoy. Kinda a strange one, this chapter..._**

**Recap**: With his beret missing, he just stood there, his eyes wide, the crest of red fur that marked him stood out, visible to all. Ryne transferred her gaze to Fyre, who was starting at Flippy with a dumbfounded look, but she could see it was quickly changing to rage. "Akakabuto's demon seed..." He growled and ground his teeth, his fur quickly standing up, then he sprang, snarling angrily. "I'll kill you!!"

**(Story begins)**

Flippy moved to the side, allowing Fyre to crash to the ground. Fyre crouched on all fours like a wild animal. He opened his mouth to reveal razor sharp white fangs and strings of spit that ran from the top to the bottom of his mouth. "I knew I could never trust you! You're a child of that bastard!" He started circling Flippy, trying to get him away from the river, to prevent an easy death.

Ryne growled and took a step forward, then flinched and collapsed onto one knee, her strength gone. 'Damn that Lightning Attack...' She thought miserably as she watched. Flippy kept his paws in front of him. "Fyre, calm down! Think of what you're saying!" Fyre gave a nasty smile. "I have. I've been planning this ever since you joined the Corps!"

Silver stared in horror at Fyre, moving behind KuroKaze in fright. She had fought snakes before, but none were as ferocious as Fyre was right now.

Fyre snarled and rushed him. Flippy moved to the side again, but the Akita swung around, landing a powerfully double pawed kick to his jaw. The bear flew backwards, crashing into a tree. Flippy grabbed the side of his head and shook himself. Fyre remained motionless as he watched Flippy stand up slowly. Flippy turned his head to the side and spat out a stream of blood. "I don't want to fight you, Fyre..."

In a flash of silver fur, Fyre was next to Flippy, sinking his fangs into the bears shoulder. With a powerful heave, Flippy managed to throw Fyre off. Blood splattered from the wound as he stood there still. Fyre growled, maddened by Flippy's seemingly indifference to pain. Flippy took his eyes from Fyre and looked at his wound. Fyre rushed him again once he did, knocking him to the ground, tearing madly. Flippy fought back, only in the business of self preservation.

Switch watched the fight from his perch in a high tree. His eyes were blank as he watched his brother rolling around, snarling and fight against the Tora-ge Akita. Slip sat beside him, shivering madly. He turned to Switch. "Sh-should we really l-let the A-Akita do that to F-F-Flip?" Switch sighed as he answered. "What else can we do? You know what Akakabuto said, 'Come back with Flip's head, or don't come back at all.'"

Slip lowered himself to the branch as Flippy threw Fyre from him. Blood clearly stood out against both Varg's fur as they stood, panting, one waiting to attack, the other waiting for it. "W-What's gonna happen if F-Flip wins?" Switch unsheathed his sword and watched the sunlight play on it. "If the Akita wins, then all is good. I'll just slice his head off and bring it to Aka. But, if Flip wins, I'll rush down and kill him quickly, then bring his head to Akakabuto." Slip looked miserably at his brother. "I don't like it..." He said simply, without stuttering.

Switch sheathed his sword. "Get used to it, it's our way of life. Besides, if we let Flip live, whether or not we return, Akakabuto will kill us and you know how." Slip gulped, but spoke stutter-less again. "Mom wouldn't have wanted that..." Switch closed his eyes and turned his head to the side. Slip stared at him, then looked down sharply as a cry reached his ears.

Flippy smashed into a tree, blood coursing from a bite mark between his eyes. Fyre stayed at one side of the clearing, panting heavily. His silver striped pelt was thoroughly blood soaked as he kept himself up on all fours. His legs quaked and he stumbled to the side from exhaustion.

"Fyre" The Akita jerked his head up. Flippy was standing, still as strong as ever. "H-how are you still standing?!" Flippy just shook his head. "I'm not consumed by hatred like you. I can fight longer. Like when Alam faced Viktor." Alam, who was watching from some bushes, perked his mutilated ears up. "Alam was full of hate and, because of that, he couldn't win against Viktor." Alam lowered his head, his eyes closed.

Fyre flattened his ear. "And, the way you are now, you can never kill me!" Fyre leapt up and glared at him. "You can't tell me what I can and can't do!! Because of your kind, my mother, the only one that ever understood me, was killed!!" Ryne closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Oh Fyre, do you think you're the only one who's lost a mother?" Flippy said, a sad look to his eyes. Fyre stayed where he was, anger still smoldering in his eyes. "At least you're mother didn't die in front of you!" Flippy clenched a paw. "Akakabuto, my own father, killed her! Akakabuto was going to kill me and my brothers, when my mom jumped in the way, taking the blow for us!" A tear slid down the side of Flippy's face as he continued, his voice rising into a yell. "I still remember her last few moments! She slid down the cliff, a gentle smile on her face! She gave her life to save us! The last time I saw her was when she was face down, floating away in that river!"

He pointed to the Raging Stream. "After Akakabuto struck and she floated away, he said, "You're in luck today! You're mommy paid for your lives with hers! I'll let you live only because she died today! It's a better punishment, living without a mother to love and care for you!"" Flippy stopped talking, his breath coming from him in ragged gasps as tears cut a river from each eye. He sunk to his knees and stared at the stream, completely lost in sorrow.

Slip had tears streaming down his face as he raised a paw and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, easily soaking the material. "Mommy..." Switch glared down at them, his eyes completely dry, filled only with hate. Hate at Akakabuto, the whole cruel world, and the emotions that were boiling inside him. 'I've never cried...not once! I'm not planning to start now!' He thought angrily.

Fyre limped towards him, reaching for his knife. "If' you're in such pain, I'll just kill you and end it! Think of it was a mercy killing!" The Tora-ge was a few paces from Flippy, when he was suddenly pushed back. Ryne was standing between them, facing Fyre, tears in her own eyes. "Stop it, Fyre!"

Fyre scratched his hind claws through the grass. "Move, Ryne! I'll stop him before he becomes like his father!" Ryne glared at him, causing a tear to run from one of her eyes. "Don't you understand?! Flippy's risking his life for our goal! Not only is he fighting against his species, but against his own family! He saved my life more than once, not to mention yours! If you can still kill him, even knowing that...you're no better than Akakabuto!"

Fyre backed up, growling. "Sh-shut up!" He ran forward, knife out, then stopped dead in his tracks. He was staring behind them, slightly above Flippy and Ryne. A powerful bright white light was shining down. Fyre back up, dropping the blade as he stared, wide eyed, as a silver Tora-ge Akita gently walked down. Two large feathered wings were folded behind her, tipped with something that resembled the iron church fence railings, except white in color.

As soon as her paws touched the ground, there was a blinding flash of white light. Ryne watched in confusion as Fyre lifted up his arms and clamped his eyes shut, as if blinded. Suddenly, she felt a warmth touch her, the warmth only a loving mother could give. She closed her eyes and stood still, a mixture of sadness and an overwhelming joy flooding through her.

Fyre opened his eyes and blinked. Everywhere, as far as the eye could see, there was flowers. All of the trees, mountains, and the river seemed to have vanished. He looked up, the sky was a strange soft golden pinkish color. "Fyre." He whipped his head around and froze.

It was his mother. She was wearing a beautiful golden necklace. He and Ryne had given that to her for a Mother's Day present. She walked forward, her wings stretching out slightly. Fyre took a step away, fear flashing in his eyes. She stopped walking. "Fyre. Fear not. It is I, Angel." She laughed gently and stretched her wings to their full, impressive, 26 foot span. "Although I bet you're having second thoughts, especially when I have these massive things to carry around."

Fyre looked closely at her. She looked like his mother and his mother's name had been Angel..."How can I be sure that you're really Mom!?" Angel smiled and carefully lifted up the necklace. "Well, I can remember what happened the day you and Ryne gave this to me. You were so overjoyed, that you weren't watching where you were going and fell into the pond. I still remember seeing you lift your head out of the water with a fish flapping in your mouth."

Fyre laid his ear back. "A-anyone could've known that!" Angel smiled. "Well, what about that really embarrassing time. I never told anyone but you and Ryne. I was playing with you when you were a baby and you threw up in my mouth." She shivered. "I'll never forget that! Even if I tried!" Fyre seemed at a lose. He stared around frantically, shaking his head the whole time. "No! That's cant be! You're dead!"

Angel nodded. "Yes, I'm pretty sure you're right there." He started backing up. "No! No! I can't believe it!" Angel suddenly surged forward, wrapping her arms around Fyre. Fyre struggled briefly, then went still, overcome by a feeling of peace. Memories that long lay forgotten in his mind came to the surface, one after the other.

"M-Mom?" "Yes..." Fyre wrapped his arms around her, his eyes squeezed tight as tears leaked from under them. Angel laid a paw on his head and rocked slightly like she had down when he was nothing more than a pup.

A few minutes passed. Fyre was sitting on the ground next to his mother. "But, you don't understand, Mom. He's Akakabuto's son! His father brought about your death! Why should I trust him!?" Angel gently shook her head. "Fyre, don't you remember what I taught you? Not every bear is evil. Flippy seems very noble in what he believes." Fyre buried his face into his arms. "You just don't understand..."

Angel watched him sadly, then turned her head up, seemingly listening to someone. She sighed and fluttered her wings. "Fyre, my time has come. I must go now, but never forget, everyone deserves a chance. If Flippy is fighting against his family, refusing to hurt you, and," She chuckled. "saving you and Ryne's lives every time he turns around, then he has earned my trust. So, why shouldn't you accept him?"

Fyre turned his head to the side, his ear flat against his head. "'Cause his father..." "Why are the wicked ways of the parent always expected of the offspring? What has he done that reflects that wicked bear in any way?" Fyre sighed and looked back at her, at a lose for words.

Angel smiled gently at him and gave him one last hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Good bye, Fyre. One day, we, Ryne and your father included, will meet again and we'll be a family again. Oh, I almost forgot. Here." She touched his chest. Fyre blinked and looked down, then back up. She smiled at him. "I've taken away your unnatural hate of Flippy." Fyre had a slightly horrified look on his face. Angel laughed. "Oh, don't worry, it won't affect how you feel towards other bears, nor how you fight. It'll just make it easier to get to know and trust young Flippy."

She turned and spread her wings, crouched down, and launched herself in the air. She jerked suddenly and wheeled around, stopping inches in front of Fyre. She winked one eye and smiled. "And, between you and me, Flippy may have his father's trademark red fur, but as for his soul, he very much resembles his mother."

Angel turned and flapped away. Fyre stared, then ran after her. "Wait! Did you know her?!" Angel turned her head. "Oh, yes, very well. Haven't you ever wondered why I always said not every bear is evil? MoonDance proved that to me long ago." Fyre continued running after her. "Wait! What do you mean!? Who's MoonDance?! Is she Flippy's mom?! Is she dead?!" Angel smiled one last time, then vanished.

Fyre stopped running and stared at where she had been. "What...?" Suddenly, the ground beneath him cracked and shattered, allowing him to plummet straight down! "Mom! Help!" Complete blackness engulfed him, when he felt two arms wrap around him. "Stay strong, my son, stay strong..." His mother's voice came close to his ear as his fall slowed.

Ryne stood in front of Flippy, watching her brother. He was just laying on the ground. After he lowered his arms, his had stood still, took a step back, jerked slightly, then fell unconscious to the ground. She sighed, then perked her ears. 'Something's not right...' She thought as she looked around. The river bubbled and hissed past. "Ssssss..."

'Should've called it Snake River, with all that damn hissing it's making!' "Ssssssssssswooooordddd..." Ryne blinked. 'Did the WATER just SAY sword?!' Suddenly, a flutter, like a feather, tickled her ear. She looked up and swore, for a fraction of a second, that she saw her mother's face, appear then disappear in a cloud bank. 'Sword...sword...Oh! Switch's sword! But...what does that really mean?! Hmm...' "Kuro." Ryne whispered. The black cat looked over, his fur still fluffed up from the fight.

"Go to HQ, as fast as you can, and get that sword you're always messing with when Flippy's not looking." Flippy looked at Kuro and glared. "Hey, how did you know I-?!" "Kuro! This is no time for messing around. Just go get it! And take Silver with you!"

Kuro looked at a lose, but he nodded and ran off, as quick as a flash, with Silver following close behind. Flippy stood up and wiped his eyes. "What's wrong, Ryne?" She continued looking around. "I...don't know, but something's telling me to get the sword..." Ryne lifted her head and found what was worrying her. Perched in a branch, was Switch. His sword was drawn and flashed in the sunlight as he leapt down.

Ryne went to put herself in the path of him, but was shoved out of the way by Flippy. Flippy braced himself as he brother sped at him. There was a flash of silver and Flippy was skidding backwards. Switch went flying in the opposite direction, blood splattered on his sword and a slash on his cheek. Fyre stood between the two of them, blood dripping down his face from a sword slash.

The Tora-ge Akita growled dangerously. "Don't touch the bear..." Flippy had a dumbfounded look on his face. Did Fyre actually say what he thought he said?! Switch stood up and flicked his sword, sending a streak of blood across the ground. "And what would it matter to you!? You were trying to kill him just a few moments ago."

Fyre smirked at him. "Let's just call it Divine Intervention. Now...eh?" Fyre stopped and looked at his shoulder. Flippy's paw was on it, holding him back. "No, Fyre. This is my fight. He's my brother and I must take responsibility for him." Switch glared at him. "Take responsibility for me?! I'm you're older brother! I'm supposed to do that for you!"

Flippy walked past Fyre. "Thanks for the help, Fyre. But I have to fight this one myself. I don't know what happened to you, but it's a welcomed change, not having to fear for my life every time I see you." Fyre nodded, then backed up next to Ryne, who placed a paw on his shoulder. "That's the brother I knew and loved. Welcome back!"

"Switch. When I meant 'take responsibility', I meant kill you. If you're going to actually attempt to kill me, then I must dispose of you before you turn into Akakabuto." Switch seemed to have been insulted. "Me? Like the demon!? You're out of your mind! Do you actually think I want to kill you!? I've been given strict orders from our power hungry 'father': 'Kill Flip and bring his head to me, or I'll kill you and feed Slip to the Monster!' I'm doing this to protect Slip! Just like I promised mom when she died!"

Flippy flinched and blinked back a tear. "So, he knows I'm not dead..." "Of course, why else would I be out here for?! He's known for years! Don't ask me how, because I don't even know!" Without warning, Switch attacked, slashing down with his sword. Flippy took out a knife and held it up, stopping the blade from plowing into him. There was a twang and a thud as Flippy's knife flew from his paw and sank into a tree. "Switch, why don't you just join us?" Switch glared at him. "You don't understand, DO YOU!?" He lunged forward, swinging the sword at Flippy. Flippy moved backwards, but tripped over an ill place root and fell heavily down.

Switch leapt up high, swinging the sword down hard. "Forgive me for this, but it's time to die, brother!" Time seemed to slow down as many thing happened at once. Flippy looked to the side as there was a flash and Switch's other sword was flying. Flippy grabbed it and held it up, stopping Switch's other sword from slashing him open.

Flippy heaved on the blade, shoving Switch back as he leapt up. "So, Switch, you say it's time for me to die? I think not...prepare yourself brother!" Both bears faced off, getting ready to battle it out fully!


	20. Slippery Business

**_Zs99: Yay! This is officially my longest running FF I've ever wrote! I owe all of it to the fans! Thank you, thank you!_**

**_Phoenyx jumps through the window: Hey! I'm I ever gonna be in AWOL!? You never answered me last night!_**

**_Zs99: If I tell you, will you leave now?_**

**_Phoenyx: Yes!!_**

**_Zs99: No._**

**_Phoenyx: Wha-!?_**

**(Story Starts)**

KuroKaze looked in confusion from Switch to Flippy. "Wha-? I-? Hmm...where did the other Flippy come from?!" Ryne would've laughed at him if the situation hadn't been so dire. "Don't joke at a time like this. That's Switch, Flippy's older brother. If Switch is here, then Slip should be..." Ryne looked up, higher in the tree then where Switch was. Slip sat, staring at his brothers, shivering so hard that the branch was shaking.

"Who's Slip?" Kuro asked, but turned his head quickly as the clash of metal reached his ears. Switch had charged at Flippy, slamming the blade hard into Flippy's. Sand flew around Flippy's paws as Switch shoved him backwards. Both blades whined from the strain as Flippy found purchase on the ground and started pushing back.

Switch glared at his brother, then dropped onto his back, lashing out hard with his hind paws. Both of them made contact with Flippy's stomach. Caught by surprise, Flippy bent over, only to receive a powerful uppercut to his jaw. He flew backwards, skidding across the ground. He stuck out his paw and grabbed a root, flipping himself back up on his paws, just in time to stop a blow from Switch as the older bear swung the blade with both paws. Blood trickled out of the side of Flippy's mouth as he and his brother started shoving again.

Fyre's tail swished as he controlled himself. Every instinct in him was screaming to fight and kill. Even if his mother had banished the hate he felt towards Flippy, the instinctive need to kill bears, which had been breed and trained into him, was still there. That meant that, even if he didn't mean it, he might accidentally kill Flippy. 'Well,' He thought 'that's just one more thing I need to work on...'

Slip watched his brothers fight. He was absolutely miserable. On one side, he was terrified of his father and wanted Switch to obey him. But, the other part, he wanted them to just stop! He didn't want Flip to die, he had always been nice and had watched out for him after their mother was murdered. He shivered constantly as he sunk lower to the branch, sweat breaking out on his face.

Both brothers broke apart again, watching each other carefully. Switch stood to his full height and glared at Flippy. Flippy kept the sword out front of him, watching Switch closely as he tried to read his movements. But, since Switch was a way better swords bear, he wasn't feeling that confident.

"You know, Flip, you're good. You must've been practicing with that sword of mine. Of course..." Flippy cried out and staggered backwards as Switch's sword whacked him in his injured shoulder, causing blood to spray out. Switch had been able to dash in, attack, and move back at least ten feet. Blood ran down his blade as he spoke dangerously. "...you're still not good enough to take me down." Switch took up a professional fighting stance. "Now, prepare for death." He snarled as he rush forward.

Slip closed his eyes and pressed his face to the bark of the branch, wanting the clashes of the swords to stop. Suddenly, the branch shook. Slip jerked his head up and gasped. The red Akita that had been down near the fight, only moments ago, now sat on the branch near the tree. Slip lived up to his name and almost plummeted to his death. Ryne quickly grabbed his arm and hauled him back up. Slip sat on the branch, stuttering none stop. "I-I-I-I-I w-w-w-asn't d-d-doing anyth-th-thing! D-D-Don't k-k-k-k-kill m-me!"

"Sheesh, you stutter a lot! Hey, I'm not gonna kill you! Why would I go through the trouble of saving you and killing you in one day?" Slip stared at her and, despite the situation, he stopped shivering slightly. "Well, w-what do you w-want with m-me?" She turned her head. "Do you really want your brothers to kill each other?" Slip looked miserably over at them. "N-no..." She crouched down. "Then, why do you let them fight? Why don't you just go down and stop them?"

"C-Cuz I can't! I'm a c-coward!" She snorted. "Coward?! And who told you that?!" He turned his eyes down. "A-Akakabuto..." "Hmm...tell me, did you always stutter like that?" Slip looked back at her. She was staring at him out of the corner of one of her blood red eyes. "N-No...only a-after..." He looked down.

"After what?" A tear slid from his eye. "My m-mother was k-killed..." She stood up, both of her eyes fixed on him. "You know, my mother was also killed. Madara saw to that. My father went missing and it's very likely that he's dead. Still, even when all of that was happening, I had my brother, heh-heh, well, once I found him in the army. But, before I found him, I had my godfather." She shook her head. "But that doesn't matter! What I'm trying to say is that, even when my parents were gone, I still had my brother. I'm pretty sure you can understand that, having an evil father and dead mother."

She turned and prepared to leave. "W-wait!" She turned her head slightly. "W-why did you t-tell me a-all that?!" She just shrugged. "Well, you two aren't evil like your father, and neither is Flippy." "But, w-what to you p-plan to g-gain from t-this?" She smiled and shook her head. "Well, either my Squad's Sgt's life is saved, or he's spared from feeling a massive amount of guilt for the death of his brother. Either way, it's all your choice." "But-!"

Before he got any farther, she leapt down the branches and carefully ran back over to stand beside a young black cat. His bright red tail was fluffed out as he watched the fight. Suddenly, he turned and looked up, his bright blue eyes staring straight at him. Slip flinched and ducked down.

Growling and snarling broke out suddenly. Flippy and Switch had lost their swords and were now going at each other with just their bare paws and teeth. Switch's fangs snapped savagely into Flippy's injured shoulder. Flippy grunted and pulled his head back, head butting Switch and knocking him off. Switch skidded backwards a bit, then pulled out a knife and threw it. Slip jumped up and covered his mouth, his eyes wide.

Flippy's face screwed up in pain as he grabbed the knife that embedded his forepaw and pinned it to the ground. With a quick jerk, he ripped it free and stood up, panting, blood running from his shoulder and paw profusely. Switch heaved in breaths as he stood, careful to keep his eyes on Flippy. Numerous slashes cut through his green pelt as blood slowly trickled from them. He raised his paw and wiped blood from his mouth and looked at it. "Been a while since I last saw my blood..." He turned his head and spotted his sword, which laid a few feet from him, hidden by some creeper vines.

"Switch. I know you're fearing for Slip's safety, but don't do this. I don't want to kill you, Switch." Switch glared at Flippy. "Kill me? I doubt it. You're paw's useless, you can't hold a sword or a knife now!" Flippy lifted up his paw, looked at it, flexed it, and flinched, then set his paw to his side. He gripped the knife in his other paw tightly. "Then I'll just use this one."

"Joke while you can!" Switch whipped out another knife and threw it. With a flash of silver metal, Flippy easily knocked the knife away and stood glaring at Switch. Switch glared right back. Then he sighed and shook his head. "Flip, it's too bad it has to end this way." He spoke in a regretful sounding voice. He bent down and picked up his sword and pointed it at Flippy. "But, tell me, why aren't your friends coming to the rescue? Is it because they'd love to see you killed?"

Flippy simply smirked at him. Switch's glare deepened. "Fine, don't tell me. You'll still die!" Switch rushed at Flippy. "Say hello to mom and tell her..." His glared flickered for a second, "...I'm sorry."

Slip stared down in horror. Switch's blade crashed into Flippy's knife. Due to the size of the sword and the skill of Switch, the bowie knife went flying, impaling itself into a tree. Slip stood up and tensed himself. He just had to do something! He couldn't sit here and let them kill each other.

Just before Switch brought the blade down, Flippy kicked out, knocking him back across the clearing. Switch sank his sword into the ground and hung on. The blade held, preventing its owner from crashing into a tree. Switch stood up, gasping for breath and gripping his stomach. Fyre crossed his arms and smirk. "A little lower and you'd never have children! Haha-Ow!"

Ryne held a branch in her hand. "You might be older than me, but your mind has yet to catch up with your body. Don't interject something like that into a serious fight!" Fyre rubbed his head and glared at her. Flippy was looking towards them, when Switch seized his chance.

Slip saw Switch run at Flippy. He froze for a second and looked up, then blinked in confusion. A silver striped dog was looking at him from a blaze of light. She smiled warmly and gave him a thumbs up. Courage swelled within the black bear and he glared down at his brothers.

Switch gripped his sword tight, leapt into the air, and swung down at Flippy. "STOP!!"

Blood splattered the area. Flippy stood in stunned and dumbfounded shock. Switch started trembling all over, his eyes wide with horror. Slip stood between the two battlers, the blade of the sword sunk deep into his right shoulder. Switch let go and staggered back, hardly able to believe what he had just done.

Slip gritted his teeth as he gripped the blade in his paw and ripped it out of his shoulder, tossing it to the ground. "I said stop! Switch, you can't kill Flip!" Switch stared at his brother. "What did you say?!" "I said stop, for the third time! I can't let you two kill each other!"

Switch lowered his head and sighed, his shoulders sagging, then he looked up, his eyes burning. "And what do you plan to do?! If Flip's head isn't delivered to Aka, he'll kill us!" Slip felt a shiver go down his spine, but he stood strong, even if his shoulder was killing him. "I have the feeling that he'll kill us anyway! If we put one paw out of line, like Flip did once, that's it! Our lives will be snuffed out as quick as" He snapped his claws "that!"

Flippy and Switch stared at their younger brother, stunned that he had spoke all of that without so much as a stutter. Switch lowered his head, his eyes closed and his arms crossed. "So, what do you suggest we do?"

Fyre stared at them. Then he turned to Ryne. "Okay, they just stopped fighting all of a sudden. Even if that little one stepped in, they should continue! I mean, they don't even seem hostile at the moment!" Ryne snorted. "Your blood's just boiling at the moment. Calm down and shut up."

Slip turned and looked at Ryne. Slowly, he walked over to her, and, standing before her, scratched his head and looked to the side. "Uh...can my brother and I stay with you?" Switch's and Flippy's mouths dropped open. "Slip!! We can't stay with them! They're the enemy!" He almost jumped with shock as Slip turned and glared at him, yelling. "As far as I'm concerned, Akakabuto is my enemy! He a murdering disgusting piece of-!"

A sudden pained yowl ripped through the forest. Ryne whipped around and, immediately, her fur fluffed out in anger. Viktor had come from seemingly nowhere. He had Kuro's chest and right forearm in mouth, sinking his canines deep. One of his paws pressed against the side of Kuro's face, holding him down, his serrated claws digging into the cat's flesh, while the other paw pinned KuroKaze's hind legs to the ground.

Fyre snarled and went to move forward, but stopped as the Shepherd bit harder into Kuro's chest. The cat groaned as he tried to dig his own claws into Viktor's face, but couldn't muster the energy. Ryne glared at him, then caught movement in the bushes. Both of Alam's bright blue eyes shown through a gap, sparkling and ready to fight.

"Viktor, what do you want!?" The Shepherd's voice was muffled. "Complete surrender from you and your fighters!" He fixed his eyes on Flippy, then looked at his red head stripe. "Especially from that bear!" Ryne shook her head. "That's not an option." Viktor dug his claws into Kuro's face. "You might want to rethink that! I can rip the life from him like it was nothing!" Ryne crossed her arms. "Do you think his life has any meaning to me? He's the one who offered his life to me when he choose to join me. He knows what it means to fight under me, even if it's sacrificing his own life for the greater good."

Ryne stepped forward, looking straight at Kuro. Suddenly, she threw herself onto her back, her paws spread, revealing her stomach to Viktor. "And I understand it also. Let him go and I'll surrender." Viktor's eyes brightened. What luck! Of course she'd give in once he had a prisoner. Viktor picked his head up, holding Kuro, who yowled, his voice pained. "No, Ryne! Don't do it!" Viktor threw him, sending him flying. The cat landed in a heap of black fur in front of Flippy, who was staring at Ryne in horror. Ryne looked at him and something flashed in her eyes. "Didn't I tell you to stop staring at me?"

Flippy's mouth worked, but no sound came forth. Viktor stared moving forward, his fangs ready to kill. Suddenly, he reared up and roared in pain. Alam had come out of the bushes, impaling his fangs deep into Viktor's hind leg. Alam drug his mortal enemy back and swung him around, shredding the muscle and letting him fly from his mouth. Viktor snarled and stood, blood gushing from his hind leg. "You'll pay for that, brat!"

Despite the wound, Viktor put his weight on it and surged forward. He snapped his fangs into Alam's neck and reared up, slamming the mutilated canine to the ground, then leapt away. Alam got to his paws and whipped around. He lunged at Viktor and grabbed him by the neck, throwing him down and leaping on him, biting at his face and neck savagely. Viktor snarled and slashed madly at Alam's chest with his claws. He thrust his hind paws deep into Alam's stomach, sending the Shepherd flying over his head.

Alam twisted in midair and landed on his paws and charged Viktor again, his mouth wide, fangs dripping with blood. Viktor leapt, whacking his front paws down on Alam's head, cutting several grooves. Alam almost went down, but caught himself and swung around, slicing a deep slash into Viktor's chest. Viktor reared onto his hind paws and staggered backwards. His paws touched wet rocks and, with a gasp, looked behind him, beholding the Raging Stream. A barking roar sounded and he turned his face forward, shock written all over his brutal features.

Alam crashed into him, sending the cruel Shepherd tumbling backwards into the river. Alam's front half was submerged in the cold water as his momentum carried him forward. Fyre and Ryne grabbed his hind legs, while Flippy grabbed his tail. Together, they pulled the drenched dog from the river. Then they looked up, watching as Viktor's head moved quickly downstream, his paws paddling frantically as he tried to get to shore. Alam watched him until he vanished downhill.

"Too bad we aren't at the top of the waterfall. Still, one death's as good as another." Fyre said with grim satisfaction. Alam sighed and shook his head. "If I know him, he's not dead. And even if he is, he'd probably resurrect back. He's just as much as demon as the Demon himself..." Fyre snorted. "Who ever heard of someone like him raising from the grave! Stuff like that's just a myth." Alam looked pityingly at Fyre and shook his head again, but remained silent.

Ryne was slightly disturbed by what Alam had said, but she just turned to Slip. "So, you want to stay with us, eh?"

**(Timeskip--20 minutes)**

A scouting party of at least 20 of Viktor's followers were gathered around a sandy part of the Raging Stream's shore. They all stayed quiet as they looked down at the soaked and still form of their murderous leader. His face and body was covered with raking slashes and bites and the brown sand and water ran red with his blood as it seeped out of him. Viktor's mouth was wide open and his eyes were shut tight.

One of the dogs, a large gray one, walked up to his leader and examined him. No breath made its way out of Viktor's fanged mouth and his chest wasn't moving. He turned to his companions. "He's dead, we might as well push his body back into the-AUGH!" Viktor's eyes had suddenly snapped open. His fangs sliced deep into the dog's throat as he heaved himself up, using the dog as leverage as he stood, pushing the dog down and biting deeper every second.

When he was standing, Viktor held the dog down, watching and waiting as he slowly suffocated. When the dog went still, Viktor let go and stared down at him. The dog lifted his head weakly. All of the dogs were startled that he wasn't dead, but they'd find out why in a heartbeat. "Why'd you-?" Viktor slashed the dog's throat fully open with one quick swipe of his serrated claws. The dog head plopped back down and his eyes misted in death as blood rushed from the wounds and his mouth.

Viktor stood up straight, looking at the dogs that were gathered around. Bozlef was among them and he had a look of grim enjoyment on his face. "Very good, brother. Even on death's doorstep, you're still able to kill like yourself!" Viktor panted and took a step forward, then stopped. Everyone jumped back as he let out a roaring bark that echoed around the surrounding area. His mouth hung open and a gushing stream of water rushed from it. He heaved again and again, until finally the river of water narrowed into a small trickle.

Viktor lifted up his head, his breath coming in ragged pants as a mixture of water, spit, and blood drizzled from his open mouth. Bozlef perked his ears and twitched the one with the bullet holes. Viktor was saying something. "One of these days, Alam, I'll make sure you die slowly and painfully, you and all your friends, I swear it on my black soul..."

Viktor looked down at the dog, then started shoving him towards the river. "He'd dead. We might as well push his body in!" The dog's body splashed into the water and quickly vanished downstream. Viktor threw his head back and laughed madly.


	21. Let's Get This Party Started!

**_Zs99: Heh-heh, I feel like an idiot, but I finally figured out how to put the line thingy here. I kinda found out by accident, heh-heh... Anyway, I'm actually trying to get Ryne and Flippy together, but, if you know me from DA, you'll know I have a hard time at it! BUT, I have two people to thank fro their help: Adderstar and Pcaara. Thanks guys! Now I have an idea of how to get it started and, get this, I've had another idea for a LONG time, like, 'before-I-put-the-very-first-chapter-up' type of long time. 'Course, I never thought it would work, but now I see how I can get it to work! But, that's still a little while in coming, so enjoy this one!_**

Alam turned his head, his mutilated ears perked up as he stared downstream. He sniffed, the air whistling wetly through the slits on his mutilated muzzle. Fyre turned his attention from his sister, who was talking to Flippy's brothers, Switch and Slip. "What is it, Alam?"

The Shepherd flinched and turned to face Ryne. "Nothing, I just thought I heard something..." Ryne flicked her ears and stared at him, her red eyes boring into his blue ones. "What do you think you heard?" Alam shook his head back and forth wearily. "For a second, I heard a laugh, but I think it was the river." Flippy looked downstream. "Since when does a river laugh?"

Alam snorted impatiently. "Let's just pretend I didn't hear anything, okay?! Anyway, we should be getting back. Sarge's probably bit all his claws off in his worrying, especially since Kuro appeared and vanished with a sword." Switch suddenly glared at Flippy. "That reminds me! I want my sword back, thief!" Flippy glared back. "I'm no thief, you sad excuse for a murderer!"

Switch growled and reached for his sword, but remembered that it was on the ground, the blade coated in Slip's blood. Switch stared at it in horror. "How can I ever use that again?" Slip blinked up at him. Slowly, he bent down and picked up the sword, driving it into the ground. The black bear pulled it out and handed it to Switch, the traces of blood cleaned from it.

Switch tightened his paw around the handle and looked at Slip. His brother smiled up at him, something he hadn't done ever since their mother was killed. "Well, in order to use a sword, you have to hold it, silly! I'm sure you can figure it out from there." Switch stared at his brother, then nodded.

Everyone turned their heads at a sudden thud. Flippy laid on the ground, gasping for breath, his eyes half open. Fyre crossed his arms and nudged his body with a paw. "Oh, come on! Stop playing around!" Ryne bent down and laid a paw on his head. He wasn't hot or anything. "He just exhausted. He'll be better with a little sleep. Give me a paw, Fyre."

Ryne bent down and placed one of Flippy's arms around her shoulders. Fyre did likewise and grunted. "Why don't we just leave him here? He's like a dead weight!" Alam smiled, then whipped his head around, staring into the bushes. "Someone's coming...I sense..." He relaxed. Silver suddenly leapt from the bushes and grabbed Alam's head, her eyes closed. "Take that, you old dirty canine! I wont let ya hurt my friends! I-!" "Ahem!" She stopped moving and opened her eyes. "Oh, Alam! So, you're not Viktor?"

Alam snorted and lifted his head, talking funny because Silver was now suspended in the air, both of her paws gripping Alam's lower lips, pulling them down to reveal his bottom jaw and fangs. "I'll give you two options, either you leave with your paws, or they leave you!" Silver smiled and quickly let go, plopping onto her tail. She pulled a face and quickly wiped Alam's slobber back onto his neck, to the Shepherd's dismay.

Silver's ears suddenly perked and she turned towards Switch, cocking her head in a quizzical. Cautiously, she walked over to Switch and stood on her hind legs, even though she only reached Switch's chin, and sniffed him curiously. "Hey, shouldn't this guy be dead? He's the enemy, no?"

Kuro walked over to her. "They joined us." Silver blinked her red eyes and turned to Ryne. "Really?" The red Akita nodded. Silver smiled and turned back to Switch. "If that's the case. Hi!" She extended a paw. "I'm ShirubaKaze, but call me Silver," She smiled "or I'll knock your teeth out!" Switch cautiously shook her paw. When he let go, Silver darted over to Slip.

"Hiya, bear! I'm Silver, and you are?" Unlike his brother, Slip smiled and shook her paw without hesitation or the help of a threat. "I'm Slip, nice to meet you, Silver!" Ryne sighed. "Let's hope that everyone'll be like that...but, for some odd, yet incredibly reasonable, reason, I think they won't be happy."

Fyre sagged, then stood up again. "Uh, can we get going? You know, before I lose the use of this arm and maybe even the shoulder?" Silver turned her gaze onto Fyre and stuck her tongue at him. Fyre glared and, if it wasn't for Flippy, he would've rushed after her. "When I get through with this, I'll kill you, you little ferret!" Silver covered her mouth and laughed. "Heeheeheehee! I'm a Mongoose, silly! I'm faster and stronger than a ferret!" Fyre rolled his eyes and looked pleadingly at his sister.

Ryne coughed to cover up a laugh. "Ah, yeah, I think we should get going. Silver, why don't you walk over by me." Silver's ears drooped. "That was an order, wasn't it?" Ryne smiled and pointed at a spot next to her. Silver walked in a depressed manner over to Ryne and stood, looking at the ground. Ryne nodded to Alam. "Lead on, you old dog." Alam growled, glared murderously at Silver, then padded ahead. KuroKaze followed him, then Switch and Slip and finally Ryne, Fyre and Silver, with both of the Akita's bearing Flippy between them.

**(Timeskip--20 minutes)**

Ryne continued through the woods, still carrying Flippy. Fyre had moved ahead and Switch had taken his place. Silver was still at her side, walking on all four paws like a typical Lera. KuroKaze was still walked behind Alam, talking, about something stupid, probably, with Slip. 'He sure isn't stuttering anymore...wonder what happened...' Ryne turned her head sharply as Flippy grunted.

He opened his eyes and shook his head. "Where am I...?" He turned and saw Switch, then jumped slightly. Switch glared at him. "I don't like it anymore than you do, but Fyre just dropped you and said that he did care enough to lug your sorry carcass around." Flippy pulled his arm from around Switch's shoulder, then turned to Ryne. "I'm fine. I can walk on my own."

Ryne nodded and slid Flippy's arm off her shoulders. She smiled at him, then turned her head. Silver was looking up at her, giving the Akita a smile and a wink. "Oh, no you didn't..." Ryne whispered to the silver mongoose. Silver smiled cheekily and darted ahead, walking beside Kuro and Slip, joining happily into the conversation. Ryne rolled her eyes and continued walking. 'No way that rat knows that I...' She shook her head, banishing the thought before she could finish it.

**(Timeskip--Midnight)**

Ryne perched alone in the lookout tree, thinking back on what had happened when they arrived. A few, especially Jaguar for some reason, were totally against having them stay. But, they'd put up with Switch, Slip and, now that his secret was out, Flippy, once they saw that Ryne and Fyre had okayed it. Sarge didn't seem to mind at all, 'course that was just like him.

But, the thing that bothered her the most was the look that Silver had shot her. It was kinda disturbingly knowing. It was a kind of 'Oh, don't worry, I understand.' type of look. Ryne slashed angrily at the bark. "What do you think you know, you little worm..." "Well, I know I'm not a worm, that's for sure!"

Ryne's head jerked up and, in a flash of silver, the knife left her paw, embedding itself into a branch, just a fraction of a hair from Silver's head. The mongoose's eyes were wide as she lowered herself down. "Gosh, you could've killed me!" Ryne glared at her. "Of course I could've! You must never sneak up on someone like that! Especially in a time of war! And, ESPECIALLY if it's ME!" Silver laid flat on the branch. "S-Sorry, I thought you heard me or sensed me..."

Ryne sighed. "No, I've-just been a bit busy..." Silver seemed to recover quickly. She leapt up and wrapped both her paws around the handle of the knife. She grunted as she tugged it. She growled when she wouldn't get it out, then virtually stood on the branch, tugging the blade while pushing with her hind paws.

Finally, the knife came loose, but with such force that it re-embedded itself in the trunk between Ryne's ears, which she had smartly moved out of the way. "I'd prefer it if you never do that again." Silver laid on her back, looking upside down at Ryne. "Heh-heh...oops..." Ryne reached up, yanked the blade out, and put it away.

"So, what do you want, why are you here?" Ryne asked as she lifted a canteen and took a drink. "Do you love Flippy?" Ryne's eyes flew open and she coughed, gagging on some water that was trapped in her throat. She pounded on her chest and stared at the mongoose, her voice strained. "What!? Why would you-" She coughed again "-say that?" Silver shook herself, scattering water droplets. She stood on her hind paws and cocked her head at Ryne. "Well, there was the way you looked at him earlier."

Ryne glared at her. "And what would that have to do with anything?!" Silver smiled. "I've seen that look on my mom's face when she used to love dad." Ryne cocked an eyebrow. "Used to?" Silver scratched the back of her head nervously. "Uh, long story, no time to tell it. But, still, I know what it looks like when someone loves someone else." Ryne rolled her eyes and snorted. "I have no time for such trivial emotions!" Silver swayed like a snake, her red eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

"But you're experiencing them, no?" "I-Why are you asking me this?!" Silver shrugged. "I don't know, just wanted to know." Ryne was silent for a long while. Gradually, Silver's features drooped and acquired a sad look to them. She turned and started heading out. "I'm sorry, Ryne...I just want to know..." "Love is such a strong word, isn't it?"

Silver turned her head. "Eh?" Ryne was looking to the side, her ears laid back and her arms crossed. "I mean, come on, the Leader of the legendary Suicide Corps loving someone? That's sounds as ridiculous as...I don't know, Akakabuto handing out candy to children or something." Silver turned towards her again and wagged her tail. "Does that mean that you-?"

Ryne nodded, then shook her head. "Why an I even telling YOU?" "Because you can't tell HIM." Ryne flicked her ears angrily. "Have you ever heard about words cutting deeper than a sword? Well, I don't believe in that, but they still hurt. Are you saying I'm a coward?" Silver held her paws up. "No! That's not what I meant! I'm just tryin' to help!"

"Well, I don't need help from a little rodent like you! Why don't you just crawl back to your mommy and leave me alone!?" Silver backed up. This little conversation wasn't going as planned. "But, just tell me, why don't you tell him that you love him?" Ryne glared at her, and Silver thought, for a second, that she wasn't going to answer. "Because, it shows weakness. And I don't want anyone, especially Flippy, to see me as weak!"

Silver sighed. "What's more weak? Facing any fear you have and telling someone you love them, or keeping it in because you're afraid of what'll happen?" Ryne looked at her, but stayed silent. Silver blinked at her, then turned and leapt to the ground, avoiding all the traps until she made it into the woods. Ryne looked up at the moon, thinking on what Silver had said.

A tickling sensation on the tip of her ear caused her to flinch and look up, but nobody was there. She turned her head forward, just in time to see a pure white feather float lazily by on a breeze. Ryne frowned as she watched it drift out of sight. 'Great, you solve one problem and start another one, don't you, mom?' Ryne thought miserably as she rested her head against the trunk.

* * *

Silver watched Ryne through a gap in the bushes. Kuro sat beside her, questioning her. "So, how did it go?" Silver shook her head. "I think I made her mad..." The cat flicked his ears. "Are you sure a dog with-" He held his arms out and flapped them "-great big wings told you to say all that?" Silver nodded. "Yeah. Trust me, I'd have never said it unless someone told me to." Kuro sighed then turned his head towards Slip. "So, any ideas from you?"

Slip's black eyes stayed on Ryne. "I don't know...I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that my brother likes her, but, knowing him, he'd rather die than admit it." Silver held in a laugh. "Why? What is he so afraid of?" Slip put a paw to his chin and held the other paw up, sticking up a claw each time he named something different. "One: There's Ryne. He's afraid she would be insulted if he told her. Two: There's Fyre. I'm pretty sure the Tora-ge's just gotten over some form of hatred toward my brother and I'm guessing he's fearing to re-awaken said hatred. Oh, and three: Flip, er, Flippy's afraid of being hurt. Like, if A-Akaka-ka-kabuto," he paused and took a deep breath, "Akakabuto, kills her or something, he'd never live it down and he'd constantly blame himself."

Silver massaged her head. "Okay, this is a little stressful! That Angel person told me to TRY and get them together...but I didn't know it'd be this hard!" Slip shrugged. "Maybe we should just leave it to them. I mean, you can't rush such things or they'll never happen, right?" Kuro yawned and stretched. "Look, I'm tired, can we turn in for the night?" Slip stifled a yawn. "Darn it, Kuro, don't spread it to us." A light snore came from Silver, who was curled up in a ball, sleeping peacefully.

KuroKaze reached over and shook her. "Hey, awake up. We can't sleep out here!" Silver blinked her tired red eyes. "Oh, come on. I-yawn-I can't make it back home at the moment." Kuro shook her again as she laid her head down, but seemed to be overcome with a sudden weariness. He slumped down and curled up next to Silver. Slip blinked sleepily, yawned, then fell over with a loud-ish thud.

Ryne perked her ears and slipped silently out of the tree, sneaking over to where the three friends slept. Ryne stood up and looked down at them, shaking her head. 'Little pests...'

**(Timeskip--8 hours)**

Kuro suddenly jerked his head up and scanned the area. He was on a soft mattress, one of the few in HQ. He stood up, lost his balance and stepped backward. "Ow!" Kuro quickly removed his paw from Slip's stomach and stagger backwards, falling backwards over Silver. The mongoose's head darted up and she looked around in alarm. "W-what?" She yawned, revealing her long eyeteeth. "What happened? Where are we?"

"In HQ, you little nuisances." Silver looked over, seeing Sarge propped up in a hammock with a book. Silver cocked her head to the side. "Do you read the same way we do? I mean, you only have one eye." Sarge went back to reading. "Just like I said, little nuisances." Ryne entered the area from another chamber and stared at Silver as she walked by. Silver gulped and hid under a blanket, her ruby red eyes staring cautiously out. Ryne's ears perked up, then she turned to Sarge. "Is it just me, or has the fabled Death Squad become a daycare?"

He chuckled as he flipped a page. "Ya got me Ryne. Ya got me..." Ryne rolled her eyes and grabbed the book and tossed it at Slip. He caught it and stared at the title. Kuro looked over and burst out laughing. "Hahahahaha! You were reading Romeo and Juliet!? Hahahahahaha!" Sarge frowned. "You little idiot! Can't you read?! The title's Raising Dragons! How the hell did you get Romeo and Juliet out of that?!" Kuro stopped laughing and frowned. "Why do ya have to ruin all the fun, Sarge?" Sarge swung his legs over the side of the hammock and leaned forward. "Because I'm a grouchy old dog with zero sense of humor!" Silver covered her mouth. "Yeah, and a terrible liar! Heeheehee!"

Sarge rolled his eyes and stood up, padding after Ryne as she gestured for him to follow. When they disappeared around the corner, Kuro turned to Silver and Slip. "Let's follow them and listen in!" Silver nodded her head enthusiastically, but Slip scratched his head. "I don't know..." Of course, that fell on deaf ears as Kuro grabbed his paw and pulled him along.

Kuro turned to Silver and shushed her as she was about laugh at what they were doing. Slip shook his head, hating and loving it at the same time. Kuro nodded and they darted around the corner and came face to face with Great. The Dane was guarding the chamber beyond so that the meeting being held wouldn't be interrupted. Great eyed the three petrified creatures, then pointed back the way they came. They needed no second bidding and left in a cloud of dust.

* * *

"We have to get a move on it! We can't wait any longer for the enemy to attack us! It's high time we did what we came here to do: kill!" Everyone nodded in agreement with Fyre's words, but Crow was the only one to voice an opinion. "Yes, but how do purpose we get started, Fyre?"

Fyre turned towards Ryne and nodded. Ryne stood up and went over to a map that was suspended from a root. She pointed at a large red X with a knife. "This is where the headquarters are for Akakabuto's Varg soldiers. If we can infiltrate it and plant a bomb, we'll be able to take out a large part of Akakabuto's forces."

"Is the Varg HQ close to Gajou?" Ryne turned to Jaguar. "Not really, Akakabuto has banned entry to Gajou and, to prevent them from getting any ideas about entering, he placed them further away." Jaguar crossed his arms. "Huh, why'd he do that? That's not a very smart move." Flippy turned to him. "When I still lived with him, I can remember him having a hatred for any creatures that were two things: Varg and non-bears. He only put up with my brothers and I because we were bears, and his spawn."

"As I was saying," Ryne said with a glare at Jaguar "We should be able to infiltrate the base and set a bomb, then high tail it out of there. But, for this mission to succeed we need creatures who will blend into the other Varg there, which, I remind you, are all black. Crow, you'll be one of them to go. Fyre, Flippy, and myself will dye our fur black and accompany you. And-" "Get back here, brat!"

Everyone turned as Kuro came running in with Great in pursuit. He looked pleadingly up at Ryne. "Let me go! I can act like a Varg and my fur's black!" Great stood in the tunnel opening, ducking down to avoid hitting his head. "I'm sorry, Ryne, but he just got past me!" Ryne nodded, then looked at Kuro. "The fact that you were able to get passed Great tells me all I need to know." Judging by her glare, Kuro lowered his tail and ears. "You can go. But, I'm warning you. It'll be dangerous..." Kuro smiled and spread his paws. "What type of dangerous? The normal dangerous, or the 'more-dangerous-than-a-normal-creature-would-be-willing-to-ever-attempt-in-all-their-lives' type of dangerous?"

Ryne rolled her eyes. "The last one, of course." KuroKaze jumped into the air. "Yes! The very best type! When do we get going?!" Crow crossed her arms. "Not until we're ready, and that's when we cover up that outrageous tail of yours!" Kuro laid his tail over his head in embarrassment. Ryne clapped her paws once. "Well, now that we're done with that, let's get this party started!"


	22. The Demonic Canine Lives!

**_Zs99: Two chapters out in rapid succession! Yay! Anyway, the very last part of this chapter is supposed to be like what happened to John in episode 9 of Ginga Densetsu Weed. Those of you who ever watched that episode should sorta see what I tried to do. Enjoy!_**

A black Varg dog looked around. He yawned and almost dropped his gun, cursing angrily. "Dammit...why the hell do I have to-ack!" He was suddenly pulled backwards into the dense brush, a strangling cord looped around his neck. Ryne slid out of the foliage, her knife smeared with blood as she looked around. She turned and looked behind her. Fyre emerged from the bushes, his silvery coat now black as coal as he quickly pulled the dead dog's jacket over his head. Ryne gestured to move forward. Three other Varg, each of them with pitch black fur, crept out of the foliage and gathered around Ryne.

"Now, everyone has a uniform." She perked her ears and looked down. A large group of Varg were headed to the building that served as their headquarters. Ryne watched them go. "Okay, here's what we'll do..."

A rabbit walking along the rear was suddenly surprised as a paw shot out, grabbed his mouth, while a bowie knife deftly slit his throat. Flippy caught the rabbit before he hit the ground and set him down gently, taking up his position in the loosely positioned group. Ryne grabbed the dead rabbit's belt and silently lugged him into the bushes, where the insects would take care of him. She looked back and waved.

Crow struck silently, killing a raccoon before he knew what hit him. Ryne hid his body as Crow started walking with the group. The process was repeated until everyone had a place within the ranks of the enemy. Each one of them carried a piece of a strange, yet highly destructive bomb. Instead of having to hide a giant sphere or something like it, Nova's brother in Intelligence had designed this bomb to be used in a mission where stealth was the key. Once inside, they would get together, construct the bomb, then get out of there before time was up.

* * *

Kuro kept his excitement to a minimum. Even though, on the inside, he felt like he was going to explode! 'I can't believe I'm actually on a mission with the Suicide Corps!! This is friggin' awesome!!' His eyes darted around, taking in the scene as they entered the building. There must've been hundreds of Varg. Most of them stood in a disorganized mess, with some of them turning their heads to watch the Varg who entered.

Ryne's eyes darted around, looking for something, anything, that could point her in the direction of the weapon storage area. Suddenly, the group stopped moving and stared ahead. The Death Squad quickly copied them. Ryne watched their right paws and, once they started moving up in a salute, copied them. She narrowed her eyes as she stared at a large dog that stood in front of the group.

His gaze was mean, like that of a father that preferred to beat his children instead of loving them like a father should. His face was covered in slashing scars and his left ear was completely missing and there was a huge chunk missing from his right one. But, there was one thing that Ryne found truly unnerving: his fur was dark brown, very similar to a certain dog she knew.

'Could he be...Jaguar's father?!' Ryne twitched her claws at Fyre, who stood beside her. Fyre blinked, glanced at her, then blinked again, opening his eyes in time to see Ryne's eyes dart forward, then fix themselves back on the sable-furred dog. Fyre stared for a moment, then flicked his eyes down in understanding. He clearly saw the resemblance.

Jaguar's supposed father, placed his paws behind him, glaring angrily at the Varg. "You're late. Take your weapons to the chamber and report to your bunks. There'll be no dinner for you lot tonight!" Everyone shouted, "Sir, yes, sir.", then started moving off. Ryne carefully copied the way they moved, making sure she didn't stand out from the other Varg around her.

* * *

The room that they arrived at was huge. But, that wasn't what made the Squad's eyes flash. The room was filled with all kinds of weapons. Hundreds of thousands of guns, grenades, and different assorted bombs were pilled in heaps. Fyre's eyes flashed. Their bomb was already highly destructive, but, combined with all of those other weapons, the blast would be huge! Fyre smiled inwardly. That bear wouldn't even know what hit him!

After depositing their weapons, the group made their way to the bunks. Just a Ryne had planned, their victim's beds would be open and free for the taking. Kuro curled up, keeping his ears perked as he listened to two of the other Varg conversing.

"Didja hear what happened at Gajou today?" A black ferret asked a black skunk. "No, what went down? Did Aka finally kick the bucket?" The ferret snorted. "Hell no! Madara was defeated!" The skunk gasped and had a surprised tone in his voice. "What?! Who'd he lose to?!" The ferret shushed him angrily. "Shut up! Nobody's supposed to know yet! Anyway, he was defeated by that giant white bear, oh, what's his name?" "Skeevak?" The ferret's head bobbed up and down. "Yeah, that's the one! He arrived here, maybe, only this morning and he's already takin' the position of Second-in-Command from the bear that's held it the longest!" "Wow, he most be some monster to be able ta do that!" Kuro kept his ears up, even though they changed the subject to something complete irrelevant. "Do you think we'll get to eat soon?" The ferret's voice was annoyed. "Are you really that stupid?! Stan said we can't eat, so..."

**(Timeskip--1 hour)**

The area was silent as Ryne slipped from her bunk and slunk off towards the weapons storage room. It was her job to dispatch the guard and unlock the door, and wait for the others to join her so they could build the bomb.

The guard yawned, but quickly closed his mouth, looking down the hallway at the sound of soft footfalls. A black dog of some sorts was coming towards him. He perked his ears hopefully. "Oh, a shift change?" He asked, hoping to get off for the night. Ryne nodded and whispered as she neared him. "Yeah, a permanent one." With one thrust, she stabbed both of her blades into him, one through his heart, the other between his eyes.

She quickly snatched them out, allowing blood to splatter all over the floor and onto her paws. She flicked her blades, speckling the walls with her victim's life source. The Varg stood standing for a moment, then collapsed. Ryne caught him before he hit the ground and fished around his neck, looking for the key she had saw earlier. 'Gotcha...' she thought as her claws closed over the key. The sound of paw steps caused her to whip around. A black fox had stepped out and, upon seeing her, opened his mouth to yell out a warning, but froze. A line of blood formed around his neck and leaked down his chest.

Fyre strolled up to him and tapped him, sending his body falling. The head rolled towards Ryne and she stopped it with a paw. She turned back to the door and inserted the key, turning it slowly as to not cause a sound. Carefully, she grasped the doorknob and turned it. As the door swung open, it let out a loud squeak. A shuffling sound came from a room a few yards down.

A black rat emerged, chuckling softly. "You could never resist looking at those weapons, eh, F..." His words died off with a gurgle as a bowie knife seemingly grew from his throat. Ryne turned her head. Flippy had arrived and he was still in the position that he had thrown the knife. Ryne gave him a smile and a thumbs up.

Fyre crossed his arms and glared at Flippy when he stood next to them. Flippy blinked at him and shrugged. Fyre rolled his eyes and pointed at his wrist. Flippy turned his head, rolling his eyes and flicked a paw at Fyre. The Tora-ge fumed angrily, and was about to brain Flippy with his knife, when he received a whack on the head. Fyre rubbed his head and glared at Ryne, who was holding her knife by the blade. She shook her head and pointed into the room, then looked up.

Kuro had appeared from the room. He looked around, finally spotting his comrades. As quickly and quietly as he could, he ran over to them, then suddenly started flailing around as he slipped in a puddle of blood. The black cat flailed for a second more, then toppled over backwards. He closed his eyes, readying himself for when his head cracked on the floor, but the strange dizzying sensation that he had once before convinced him he'd be okay, from the floor anyways. Kuro opened his eyes and looked at Fyre, who appeared upside down as he gripped Kuro's tail. The cat smiled apologetically, causing Fyre to roll his eyes and let go.

Kuro struggled to his feet and looked at Ryne, mouthing. 'See what you've done? You've given me bad luck!' He grabbed his tail and shook it at her, indicating that, because he was a pure black cat now, he was going to receive a hell of a lot of bad luck. Ryne snorted silently and mouthed back. 'Superstitious little irritant.'

Now, all they had to do was wait for Crow to arrive, then they could plant the bomb and get the hell out of there. Ryne felt a tug on her tail. She turned to face Fyre. He held up his piece of the bomb and pointed into the room, then held his paws apart. Ryne nodded, knowing what a big explosion it would make. Fyre then pointed at Flippy, then the room, and turned an invisible key, smiling all the while. Ryne glared at him and shook her head. Flippy crossed his arms, looking to the side. Sure, Fyre seemed to hate him less, but that just caused the Akita to joke about killing him more and more.

There was a light thud as a body fell out of the sleeping area. Carefully, Crow emerged, wiping her knife on the stolen jacket disdainfully. "Sorry for the hold up," She whispered. "He kind of caught me and I had to kill him." Ryne cocked an eyebrow. "The great Crow, master of stealth, got caught by a simple Aka-slave?" Crow glowered at her, but didn't speak.

Ryne turned towards her Squad. "Okay, let's do this. Don't forget, the second this bomb is complete, we have less than two minutes to get out. The explosion will be big thanks to all of the grenades and bombs that are already in the room, but, if we can get away quick enough, that'll be a positive for us. Don't forget, the mission is to get in, get out, and watch the place go up in a blaze of glory. Don't try to play the hero," She looked straight at Kuro "and get either captured or killed in the process."

She held a paw out. Fyre placed his paw on hers, then Flippy, Crow, and finally Kuro. "The evil ones have had their day, in spilling blood, exacting toil; so now expecting vengeance due, our comrades cry beneath the soil." (Zs: Kinda lame, but, what the hey, I had nothing else to work with and I suck at rhyming) The motto of the Suicide Corps was an old rhyme that went back to went the Corps had first began. It honored their dead comrades by swearing vengeance on their enemies. But, as important was it was, it was only uttered before a real life or death mission was accomplished. Ryne nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

The walls flew by as the Squad ran for their lives. So what if they woke everyone up?! The enemy wouldn't have enough time to go to the weapons room, which was about to become the epicenter of a massive crater, grab a gun, and shoot. Kuro looked behind him. "Ack!" He turned forward. "Uh, Ryne?" She turned slightly and looked at him. "Hmm?" "Is it a problem if that guy follows us? Cuz I think it's a problem."

Ryne turned her head fully. There was the dark brown dog, rushing after them, a knife in each paw and murder in his eyes. She turned her head forward again. "Hmm...that could signify a problem...Fyre, would you mind...?" Fyre nodded, "I'm way ahead of ya." He turned sharply and headed at the dog.

The dog saw Fyre coming and dodged to the side. A silver paw quickly whacked down on one of his paws, making him drop the knife as his paw went numb. Fyre caught the blade as he ducked around the other knife as it flashed close to his head. "You damn animal! I knew there was something about you and those others!" Fyre ducked under his paw, then reared up, head butting the sable dog's chin. He drop his other knife and, in a heartbeat, Fyre had picked it up and impaled both blades through their owners paws, pinning them to the floor.

Fyre stood up and dusted his paws off as the dog howled in pain and rage. "There that should hold you!" The dog shook a paw at Fyre as he tugged at one of the knives. Fyre rushed out of the building and up the side of a hill to where they had first spotted the building. Ryne smiled as Fyre pulled himself onto the overhang, a look a contentment on his face. "Well, you certainly look like you-!"

There was a sudden flash of white light. A massive explosion rocked the area seconds afterward. Ryne dove down, using a large fallen tree as shelter. The others smartly copied her move. Ryne covered her head as debris flew around them. Kuro had his eyes closed when he suddenly felt a yank on his tail. He opened his eyes just in time to see a large chunk of rock land right were he had been a mere second ago. He glared at his tail, which Crow had grabbed to pull him away. "It's all your fault!" He grumbled as he jerked his tail from the Akita and started wiping the black soot from his flame red fur.

When the rumbling subsided, Ryne poked her head above the log. There was a mushroom cloud billowing up from where the HQ had been. Ryne stood up and smiled down the hill. "That's more like it." Fyre said as he joined her. "It's about time that we started doing this!" He sniffed the air, and smirked. "You can tell how many died just from the scent of burning fur! I love this job!" Ryne looked at him from the corner of her eyes. "You've always been bloodthirsty!"

Fyre crossed his arms and snorted. "Me? Bloodthirsty? Even I can't compare with you when-!" He stopped as Ryne glared at him, her red eyes slitted and burning with anger. "If you mention it to anyone, I'll beat you into the ground until the ground yells stop." She whispered dangerously. Fyre felt a shudder go down his spine and involuntarily took a step away from his sister. Ryne shook her head, then turned to everyone else. "Okay, now that that's done, let's get going."

**(Timeskip--45 minutes)**

KuroKaze walked happily along, glad that the mission had gone smoothly, well, with the exception of that nut-job dog that tried to kill them. His tail, now back to it's bright red shade, waved happily behind him, and he had a new spring to his step. 'Heh-heh, I can't wait to see the look on Silver's face when she-'

The thought was cut off as a large dog leapt from the bushes. Kuro felt fangs sink into his neck scruff and he was lifted off the ground as the dog started thrashing him. Ryne whipped around the instant she heard the bushes move. Kuro felt his body hit the ground and then heard the sounds of savage fighting.

Ryne battled madly with the dog. She sank her fangs into his neck and tossed him to the side. As the dog recovered, she hastily unbuckled her belts, along with her blades, and tossed them to Flippy. The dog descended on her the second she did so. Kuro stood there, his mouth agape. The dog's front claws were raking horrible wounds on Ryne, so that could only mean one thing.

A cloud moved from in front of the moon. The moonlight cut through the branches and illuminated the scene. Fyre growled. Viktor! That demonic canine was still alive! Viktor struck Ryne hard on the head, one of his claws cutting deep into her face from above her left eye to her right jaw line. The Akita snarled, blood quickly covering her face, as she threw herself on top of the dog, using her weight to hold him down. She whipped her head around to face the Squad. "Run now! I'll keep them busy!" Flippy started running forward to help, but got snarled at. "I said RUN! There's more of them coming! Keep my belts and blades with you, Flippy! I'll need them again!"

Flippy stood there, seemingly unwilling to leave, until Fyre kicked him savagely. "Get moving, bear! Or do you plan to disobey her further!?" Flippy's face had a pained look, but whether it was from Fyre's kick or the thought of leaving her there with Viktor, Ryne didn't know. Viktor thrust his paws up into her stomach and knocked her off. Ryne picked herself up in time and moved as the Shepherd's claws smashed into the ground.

Viktor faced Ryne, his tongue lolling out as he panted. "Heh, I wasn't after you, but who gives a damn! You'll do just fine! Get her!" Ryne dodged to the side as a dog flew by her, slicing his stomach open at the same time. The dog hit the ground and his intestines spilled out. Another dog came out her and she swung around, kicking him in his neck and felt it snap.

* * *

Fyre ran forward, leading the Squad away from the battle. Flippy's eyes seemed to stare off into space as he continued running. Crow turned her head slightly as she heard Kuro stop running. The black Akita turned to see the black cat looking back miserably. "Kuro, we have to go, now! Don't let her sacrifice be in vain!" "But, she's gonna die!" Crow shook her head sadly. "She knew what she was doing. Her death'll... "She's not dead..." Crow perked her ears and looked at Flippy. He was looking in the direction of where Ryne fought and his eyes were burning. "She just can't die yet..."

He suddenly darted forward, back to where Ryne was. Crow started after him, but stopped when a paw descended onto her shoulder. She turned her head slightly. Fyre was watching him go. "Leave him. If I can trust him of one thing, it would be getting Ryne back safely."

* * *

There was a splat as blood gushed across the ground. Ryne roared in pain and fell to the ground. The dogs who had wounded her backed up, leaving her lying prone, blood oozing quickly out of her many wounds. Viktor stepped forward. "How was that, Akita? Are you ready to talk yet?" She glared up at him and her mouth twisted into an evil bloody smile. "Go to hell, you pig faced bastard!" Viktor glared down at her, then nodded to his dogs. They moved forward and latched their fangs into her, shredding and tearing. Ryne roared again as she was thrown and slowly hit the ground. Pain ripped through her as she laid there, taking deep breaths and wincing when pain laced through her bruised ribs.

Viktor's paw thudded into the ground next to her face. His serrated claws were inches from her face. "You know, you could be spared all of this senseless suffering, if you just tell me where those other Varg went to." He winced as Ryne's fangs buried themselves into his paw. He grunted, then kicked out, knocking her off. She continued glaring up at him. "Viktor, if you ever think you can get anything out of me, you're dead wrong. But, one day, you'll just be dead! So, until then, don't look into any mirrors, I won't want you to commit suicide, ya goddamn pawn!"

Viktor snarled and grabbed Ryne's tail, throwing her into the air. "I am not a pawn!" He roared as he swung Ryne at a tree. She collided painfully into it and dropped to the ground in unconsciousness. Viktor let go and backed up, panting madly. "So you won't talk for me..." He smiled cruelly. "But, there are other ways to make you squeal!" He turned sharply to one of his followers. "You! Drag her with us! Let's go!" Viktor wheeled around and stalked off through the forest. His followers looked around at the bodies of their dead comrades, which numbered close to thirty, then trotted off after their leader. The dog Viktor had yelled at bent down and grabbed Ryne's tail and drug her off. Flippy watched them go from a bush. Angrily, he bit into the end of his knife, before sneaking off after them.


	23. A Fox's Tail

**_Zs99: Yay! 23 is out! Can't believe I finished it in the amount of time I finished it in! Enjoy!_**

* * *

Ryne's eyelids flickered slightly. Upon awakening, pain laced through her body and her fur was spiky with dried blood. She turned her head, wondering why she couldn't move her arms. Both of them were suspended out, chained tightly to a thick piece of bloodstained wood. She swung her gaze around the room. Bundled in the corner were her jacket and shirt. 'Oh goodie...' Ryne thought as she looked down at her chained foot paws.

"Ah, you're awake. That's good, because torturing a sleeping Varg is no fun." Ryne blinked, pain shooting through her skull as a bright light flashed on. As her vision cleared, Ryne found the source of the voice. A slate-gray, black tiger-striped fox stood a few feet away, a blade in her paws. Her strange yellow-green eyes flashed wickedly as she lifted the blade, which looked like one of the razors in a barbers shop. "Welcome to hell, dearie. My name is Morgan and I'll be serving you today."

Ryne turned her head and snarled as Morgan placed the razor near her prisoner's neck. Morgan smiled evilly as she drew the blade across Ryne's chest, slicing a straight line deep into her flesh. Ryne thrashed her head and roared in pain. The fox smiled sweetly as she licked the blood from the razor.

"Now, tell me. Where is your base?" Ryne bared her fangs, her eyes flickered madly. "Heh-heh, now why would I tell you that, bushtail?" Morgan huffed in impatience and made another cut. Ryne glared evilly and snorted instead of yelling in pain. Morgan eyed her razor. "Why must you be so non-complying?" The slash Viktor had made on her face stung madly, along with the ones on her chest and the various bite wounds from earlier. Ryne shook her head, as if trying to shoo off an annoying fly. "Why would I tell you anything? If I did, it would mean the end of everyone I care for!"

Morgan's smile flickered and, for a second, it was replaced by a look of sorrow. The fox shook her head and glared at the Akita as she made another slash. This time though, Ryne didn't even flinch. Morgan's insides squirmed. Normally when a victim kept themselves still, it meant the slashed area had gone numb, but that wasn't the case with this one. She seemed to have fixed her mind on only one thing: protecting her friends and comrades.

The fox's tail waved and she turned away from Ryne, walking over to a table and dropping the razor, then took a seat, her paw on her head. Ryne lifted her head high and stared at her with one eye. "Finished already, fox? Viktor's minions were able to do better than that!" Morgan had lost all looks of enjoyment now and only stared sadly at the table.

"Huh, of course they'd do better! They're afraid of Viktor, plus I know when I can't affect a creature anymore." She rested her head on both paws as she stared blankly at the wall. Ryne flicked her ears. "Morgan, do you even want to do what you do?" The fox frowned. "Well, to tell the truth...no...but" she shook her head sadly and covered her eyes "I have no other choice."

Blood oozed quickly out of the slashes, but Ryne ignored it. "I know I'm the enemy and you have every right to keep it from me, but, why don't you just leave? You're a fox, aren't you guys supposed to be, you know, stealthy?" Morgan absentmindedly stabbed a dagger into the table. "Of course, but, that's not what's holding me back, it's-" She snapped her mouth shut. Now Ryne's curiosity was roused. "What?" Morgan stared tartly at her, then sighed. "I guess it couldn't hurt to tell you. Viktor's holding my son, Gabriel, captive. Viktor told me, that if I do my part, then he could go free. But, that damn Shepherd hasn't even let me see him..."

Ryne wriggled around, looking at her bonds as she tried to slip out. Morgan smiled pityingly at her. "You can't get out. I've been doing this for a long time now, so I know how to keep captives still." Ryne's body went still, but she kept working her hind paws around. "There's always a first time. But, why don't you just let me go?" Morgan frowned. "I can't. Not until I get my son back."

Ryne felt a twinge of pain from one of her paws, which caused her to cease her movements. "Well, why don't you just ask Vik to see him?" Morgan's eyes widened with horror. "Ask Viktor something like that?! See these scars?" She pointed at a series of lines, three pink slashes over her left eye, and three below it. "Viktor did that to me, huh, for looking at him the wrong way! He told me the next time I did it, he'd take my eye!" Morgan's face became sad again. "Even if he did let me see Gabriel, my son would want nothing to do with me."

"But, you'd think he'd be more than happy to see you." Morgan shook her head. "From what I've summarized...he hates me. He blames me for what happened." Morgan let her forehead thud to the table and she crossed her arms. Ryne tugged her left paw and felt it slip slightly. Energy surged through her as she slowly started working her paw around. "Not to pry or anything, but would you mind telling me what happened?" Morgan's shoulders rose in a shuddering sigh.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt, but it's a long hard story..." Ryne understood the muffled reply. "I really don't think either of us are going anywhere..." Morgan jerked her head up and stood straight. Her face was stony. She drug a chair over to where Ryne was chained. "Alright, I'll tell you, but I'm not sure how long it might be..."

**(Flashback--13 years)**

The sun hung high over a bustling city as cars flew down a busy street. Several hundred Varg walked down the sidewalk, going about their daily lives. A sudden crash of shattering glass rang through the area. Several Varg suddenly lost their footing as a fox, slate gray with black Tora-ge marking, rushed through the crowd on all fours, a long line of sausage links grasped tightly in her mouth.

The shop owner rushed out, carrying a big butchers cleaver. In a rage, he threw it. The fox turned a sudden street and vanished. The cleaver then embedded itself in the head of a purple hedgehog, causing him to topple into the path of an oncoming car, which killed him instantly. The butcher growled dangerously and ran after the fox.

Morgan stood up, the meat still hanging from her clenched jaws. The paw steps of someone pursuing her came loudly as the butcher rushed into the alley. Morgan didn't turn to look as she launched herself into a full out run. The butcher's breath came puffing from him, he was obviously overweight and couldn't keep up with the lean fox.

Morgan dropped onto all four paws again as she neared a fence. She bunched her legs and leapt, easily sailing over the chain linked fence to safety. She turned, a grin of triumph on her face. The butcher came to a halt, looking the fence top to bottom. Morgan took the meat from her mouth and swung it in one paw. "Sorry, friar fat-belly, no money for you today!"

He shook a large fist at her. "Morgan, you scoundrel! Get back here!" "Ah hah, and have you break my neck?! I don't think so!" She turned, walking away on all fours with her head and tail held high. Having lived her whole life on the gang and danger filled streets of the city, the 37 year old fox could easily "out fox" anything she would ever come up against.

As she reached a corner, she looked back at the butcher. "Oh and if you want payment, just look in the dumpster beside you. A few pieces of trash is all this hunk of meat's worth anyway." The butcher launched himself at the fence with a cry of rage, but barely made it halfway up before he fell heavily on his rear. Morgan laughed, then vanished with a flick of her tail.

* * *

The she-fox continued weaving her way around the alleyways, careful to avoid the 'territory' of the local gangs. They could be a real finicky lot once you set paw on their turf. They were constantly waging wars and brawls against each other, upsetting normal life for any of the tourists. Morgan laughed to herself. "Heh-heh-heh, growing up here isn't easy, but you get used to it and it makes you more clever and silent in your actions."

At the dead end of another alley, Morgan stopped. After looking carefully all around, she poked her nose into a pile of garbage. Soon, she had uncovered a hole in the side of an old abandoned building. The fox turned and slipped in backwards, pulling the trash back over the hole.

The building was old and creaked with every breeze, but, ever since Morgan was little, she had considered it home. Carefully, she padded up a set of dusty stairs. Foot prints ran up and down the stairs from the numerous food runs Morgan had performed.

She stuck her head into a room. In the corner was a makeshift bed, made of various soft pillows, blankets, and some branches. Morgan smiled as she tossed the meat onto her neck, wearing it like a scarf. "Gabriel, Ashley! Dinner's on!" The bed shifted, then a pillow flew across the floor. A young, orange-red she-fox dashed across the floor, a huge smile on her face as she launched herself at her mother.

"Mama! You're home!" She yowled as she smothered Morgan's face with happy licks and kisses. "Haha! I was so worried! Gabriel told me about the gangs and I was afraid they'd get you!" Morgan stood on her hind legs, smiling as she escaped her daughter. Ashley stayed on her four paws, looking up at her mother and smiling, her golden eyes shining and her tail wagging furiously. "Haha, you're such a worry wart! You shouldn't listen to your brother when he says stuff like that! I can out-wit any gang member, be it the leader or the lowest lackey!"

A yawn came from the heap. A silver-gray head poked from the bed as Gabriel looked around, his light blue eyes half open as he yawned, revealing his milky white fangs. "Oh, come on, mom! She knows I'm just joking! She does this every time! She's such a mama's cub!" Ashley's ears stood up in indignation. "Am not!" Gabriel stepped out fully and stood up, stretching. "Then why do you run to her and try to smother her with your face each time she comes in? Oh, and you always demand to sleep next to her! Admit it! You need her!"

Ashley's golden eyes flashed angrily. "You've no right ta talk! You like ta talk a lot when you're scared! And I never get ta bed early because of your constant babbling! So, nyah!" Gabriel turned red with embarrassment as his sister stuck her tongue at him. Morgan shook her head as she walked over to the bed, settling down inside. "Oh, come off it, you two! Look, I've got some food, let's eat!"

Gabriel turned to go back in, but fell flat on his tail as Ashley dashed in, taking a seat on her mother's lap. Gabriel rubbed his sore rump as he joined them, getting as close to his mother as he could. Ashley grabbed a sausage and savagely tore into it, downing mouthfuls hungrily. Gabriel looked disdainfully at his sister, until hunger overcame him and he tucked in in a similar fashion.

* * *

Soon, all of them were warm and full, their stomachs packed with the delicious meat. Ashley's eyes were closed and a contented purring sound came from her chest as her mother drew her tongue across her head softly. Gabriel was already settled down, his fur shiny and sleek from his bath. Ashley tipped her head back as Morgan cleaned her throat and chest fur. Gabriel looked up. "Mom,"

Morgan turned her eyes to him as she continued with Ashley's bath. "Can you tell me about dad?" Ashley opened her eyes and shook her fur. She climbed out of Morgan's arms and nestled into her soft stomach fur. "Yeah, what did he look like?" Gabriel slipped out of his area and slid over to his mother, lying down next to his sister. Morgan looked up. "Well, he had the most beautiful white fur. Unlike other Artic Foxes, he had no gray in his fur at all! His eyes were bluer than the bluest sapphire. In fact, they were so blue, they put the sky to shame!"

Gabriel closed his eyes and imagined a fox, half Varg, half Lera like his mother, with a pure white pelt and sapphire eyes. Each time his mother added a feature, Gabriel put the features onto his mental picture. "He had a strong jaw, a gentle smile, and was the most ferocious father. He'd do anything to protect his children, even jumping into a full blown gang war if we were in danger." She sighed and tears welled up in her eyes. "And that's what cost him his life. He died to defend me when I was pregnant with Ashley. You were too young to remember, Gab, but you were there. He fought savagely against Arramos, the most powerful of the gang leaders out there. He gave us enough time to get away, but, upon doing so, sacrificed his life for us."

Gabriel's image of his father suddenly shifted to a valiant fox, laying on his side as blood welled from the many ripping wounds on his flanks as he laid still on the ground, in a pool of blood, with the bodies of his enemies scattered around him.

Gabriel lifted his gray furred head, staring at his mother. "What was his name?" Morgan sighed deeply. "His name was Valiant, the strongest and most courageous fox ever birthed. And, both you and Ash, hold a piece of him within you. Never forget that, my children. One day, you'll be as great as him, and take this city from the murdering scum who slew your father."

Morgan dipped her head, giving Gabriel a quickly lick. Ashley was already asleep. "Go to sleep, Gabriel. When the morning comes, I'll have to make another run." Gabriel's eyes flickered as they lowered constantly. "Good night, mom..." Morgan smiled as she curled up around them, protecting them from any dangers or the occasional draft of cold air. "Sleep well, son."

* * *

Morgan was suddenly seized by a powerful set of fangs. She barking in shock as she was lifted up and thrown. She tumbled across the floor, crashing painfully into the wall. Morgan staggered up, her fur bristling as her instincts told her to protect her cubs. She snarled and launched herself at the attacker.

He was a huge German Shepherd with unusually long, serrated claws. Before she could even latch her fangs into his flesh or plunge her dagger into his back, he turned around, holding Gabriel, who squirmed and yowled in pain. Morgan immediately stopped moving. "Please! Don't hurt my son!" The dog lifted him higher. "I've come seeking to bargain with you. Fight with me, or this brat dies!" Tears leaked from Morgan's eyes as she glanced from Gabriel to the bed, where Ashley still was hidden.

The dog sank his teeth deeper, showing that he wasn't kidding. "Only a little deeper and it's bye-bye, foxsy-locksy!!" "O-okay! It'll work for you! Just please don't hurt him anymore!" The dog smirked from around her son's fur. He dropped him, but placed a paw onto his neck. "That's more like it. I'm Viktor, and now you'll be taking orders from me, she-fox! Bozlef!"

Another Shepherd slunk through the door. His right ear had a couple bullet holes in it and his eyes were as evil as Viktor's. Viktor kicked Gabriel over to Bozlef. His eyes were cruel as he fastened his fangs into the young fox's neck scruff and lifted him. "Take him out! Keep him locked up! No contact, sight or sound, with his little mommy!"

Viktor whipped around as another young fox dashed from the pile, weaving quickly around his legs, halting only at the door. "Run, Ash! Get away now!" Huge tear tracks cut dark lines in her fur as she looked at her mom for one last time, then ran for her life as Viktor snapped his fangs, almost crushing her skull. Viktor stuck his head out the door way, and laughed. "Oh well, one fox out of the bag! Still got two!" He threw his head back and laughed cruelly.

* * *

"Every night in my dreams I see her agonized face as she was forced to leave me, her mother!" Morgan's tears had thoroughly wet the ground as she'd told her terrible story to Ryne. The Akita hung, dry eyed and filled with anger. That was one more family that Viktor had cruelly torn apart!

Ryne renewed her struggles. "Morgan, I swear! If you let me go, I'll-NO! STOP!"

**_Zs99: Cliff-hanger!! I know you all love them SOOO much!_**


	24. Lighten up!

**_Zs99: Well, I'm back from the hospital. I stepped a ranbomly thrown sharp object that a reader (glares at av) had thrown. Heh-heh...it kinda hurt, but all's well! But, now I know that cliffies are bad...BUT THAT WONT STOP ME!! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!! Haha...enjoy!_**

Ryne stared in horror as the door suddenly slammed open. Flippy stood there, a bloody knife in his paws and blood splatters across his jacket and paws. He flung himself angrily at the fox, knocking her to the ground, bringing the knife down in an attempt to stab Morgan.

Morgan whipped out her curved dagger and held it up, stopping Flippy's knife. Flippy's eyes were green and angry as he tried to press the knife down into the fox, but only succeeded in causing the blades to grind together. Morgan looked calmly up at him. "Bear, believe it or not, I'm not your enemy." Ryne struggled, pulling at the chains.

"Flippy! She's telling the truth!" Upon hearing Ryne's voice, Flippy shook his head, his eyes clearing as they turned back to their normal, gentler, black color. He struggled up and turned to her. His eyes widened in horror as he looked at the slashes on her chest, then turned his head in embarrassment. Ryne blinked at him.

"What's there to be embarrassed about? I'm Varg, I don't have any visible..." Morgan laughed quietly. "Yes, why else would I walk around without a shirt?" Flippy blushed furiously. "It's just that...I'm not used to seeing you without your jacket..." He shook his head and wheeled around on Morgan. The fox raised her dagger, readying herself to block his attack.

"You did that to her!" Morgan nodded calmly. "Indeed I did, but, I've failed at what I set out to do. My name is Morgan, the-" Flippy growled. "The Torturer!" Morgan sniffed disdainfully and looked sternly at him. "The Information Extractor, thank you very much! You'd do best to learn some manners, young bear!" Flippy narrowed his eyes at her.

"Uh, I hate interrupt the little chat you're having, but do you think you can let me go now?" Morgan lowered the knife slightly and sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't until I get my son back." Her ears suddenly perked. "I have an idea! You!" She pointed at Flippy. "Go over there and hide!" She moved her paw to a bundle of materials in the corner.

She padded over to Ryne. "Listen carefully to me," Morgan looked to Flippy. "Both of you. I'm going to go out and tell someone I need a break for a few minutes. I'll send that person in and you, bear, will go and knock him out. Then use this." Morgan lifted up a key that looked like a sword of some sorts. "Swipe it over the chains and they'll fall away. And, they'll have the looks of a brutal struggle, as if someone snapped them using brute strength."

Morgan tossed it to Flippy, who caught if easily, still staring uneasily at Morgan. She stared straight at him. "Listen. I know you're mad at me, which you have every right to be, because I wounded your friend. But, I'm no longer your enemy. You have a friend in Viktor's group, and I'd be more than happy to help you, but..." Ryne nodded, seemingly understanding. "Don't worry, we'll look for your son. He's got to be around here somewhere."

Morgan shook her head. "No, you just need to leave, fast! Viktor'll find out what happened and he'll come after you, so you need to get away ASAP." The fox trotted over to the door and slipped out silently. Flippy looked at Ryne. "Can we trust her?" Ryne stared after the fox until the door shut. "Yes, I really think we can..."

A rattle at the handle alerted both of them. Flippy dove for cover and hid just as another Varg, this one a black deer, came in. He rubbed his head were his antlers had been, right before Viktor snapped them off in an insane rage, then he glared at Ryne, who was smiling at him. "What's so funny?!"

"Your ugly flea bitten face, of course." "My-!" He suddenly fell face first, his blood quickly forming a pool of blood. Flippy stood behind him, his bowie knife now dripping with fresh blood. His paws splashed through the puddle as he reached up, getting ready to swipe the chain that held her right paw. "Hey! Not that one first! If you cut the front paw ones before the hind, not only will I end up laying face-down in that fool's blood, but my ankles will break! Think before you do something as stupid as that!"

He smirked at her. "Why don't you take your own advice once in awhile? This is the third, or the fourth, time I've saved your life! You kinda owe me..." His voice dwindled away as Ryne glared at him. "On the contrary, my fine fuzzy friend, but I've saved your sorry green ass every night, when Fyre slipped out of his bed, determined to cut your throat!" Flippy's eyes went wide. "He what?!" Ryne thrashed angrily. "Just cut me down! You're wasting time!!"

* * *

Morgan padded quietly through the camp. Viktor lifted his head from his paws and glared at her. "What are you doin' out here, vixen?!" Morgan swiped a mug of steaming coffee from another Varg without alerting him, downing it in one gulp. She placed the mug back down, leaving the Varg without a drink and completely unaware of the theft.

"I wanted a break. So I sent Lig in to watch my victim." Morgan replied, extending her paws towards the fire for warmth. Viktor growled, but laid his head back down, closing his eyes. Morgan's green eyes flicked around the camp. Most of the WarDogs were laying close to the fire, with an exception of the ones on guard.

Pretty soon, her gaze pinpointed the two forms of Flippy and Ryne slipping skillfully away through the shadows. Morgan rubbed her arms and stood up, stretching. "Well, that's enough of a break for now. I've got to go break my new toy in. Heh-heh." Viktor opened one eye and watched her go. A wave of blackness suddenly washed over him.

The Shepherd looked around the room, which was more like a giant cave with the walls covered in liquid darkness. "Where am I?!" He barked angrily as his head swung back and forth.

"We're here." His pupils contracted as he whipped around and found the dog who spoke. Viktor blinked furiously. "You're me!" The other dog, which looked just like him, smirked, revealing his teeth and vampire-like canines. A huge black feathered wing flared out momentarily, then curled back . "A little slow. Still, we are what we are, aren't we?" Viktor's confusion was short lived. He bared his fangs.

"Why did you take me here!? Why do you look like me?!" The Viktor mimic stood and padded over to him, his wing flapping as his paws touched down. "I am you, just as you are me. I am the force that drives you to kill, the one that puts fury into your gaze and intense hatred into your dark heart. But you, my friend, can call me Apollo, even if I am nothing more than a figment of your imagination, a physical manifestation of your twisted mind..."

When he was nose to nose with Viktor, Apollo stopped. Viktor stood still and glared at him, even though he stank like a week old carcass! "Fine, Apollo, answer the other question! Why am I here!?" Apollo smirked and slowly started vanishing. "Just to tell you your prisoner has escaped..." He vanished in a painfully bright eruption of light.

Viktor jerked awake, struggling to his feet in a vicious snarl. Morgan was running back from the torture shed. She looked frantic. "Viktor! The prisoner's escaped!! Lig isn't dead, but I think he's paralyzed, because he cant more, but he can still speak!" Viktor launched himself at Morgan, pinning her down. His fangs were inches from her face and drool dripped on her nose as Viktor growled at her.

"I should kill you! She was your responsibility!" Morgan could do nothing besides stare at her murderous leader. "It wasn't my fault, Lord! I left Lig on watch when I took a break!" Viktor snarled and seemed to want to rip her throat out. Instead, he leapt off her and bolted towards the shed.

* * *

Ryne watched from the edge of the woods. Viktor came running, like a juggernaut, from the fire. He entered the shed and there was silence for a few moments. Suddenly, a pained scream came from the building and Viktor emerged again, his mouth and fangs coated with blood. "Get your lazy asses up and find her!!" He struck angrily at a guard, ripping his eye out. The guard collapsed with a scream and was set upon by Viktor as the mad Shepherd mutilated him.

The Akita turned her head as the branch shook. Flippy was panting and looking down at Viktor. "There, I did it, can we go now?" Ryne nodded. "Yes, we need to get far away before it happens. But first..." She paused, watching as at least 120 of Viktor's WarDogs, with Viktor in the lead, ran in the direction that Flippy had returned from. Ryne pounded her fist on the branch and bit her lip. That wasn't nearly enough to make a decent dent in his forces!

Ryne turned to Flippy. "Okay, it's time to go. Hopefully that blast'll kill Viktor, since he did go with them." Flippy's face was grim. "Yeah, I'm sure it'll have just as much luck as the river did." Ryne felt a slight shiver go down her spine at his chilling tone. "Well, never mind, we need to go." She turned and came face to face with Morgan. Ryne suppressed her shock and smiled, then blinked.

Morgan's face had a sad look to it. Her green eyes seemed absolutely lackluster and dull. "Gabriel's not here..." Ryne flicked her ears. "I'm sorry. Is he dead?" Morgan shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know..." Flippy stilled seemed wary about the fox. "Then why don't you leave, now that you know he's not here?"

The blue-gray fox sighed and shrugged. "I can't take the chance. I mean, what if Viktor just put him somewhere? I can't leave until I find out." Ryne nodded and her face twitched in pain. Morgan glanced at the slashes. "Still, it's best that you two leave, right this second. You never know when Viktor will be back..."

Flippy snorted. "Hopefully he wont be. That claymore (it's an explosive, not the sword) that I set should kill them all." Morgan looked pityingly at the bear. "Viktor can't die..." Flippy glared at her. "That's stupid! Everything can die!" Morgan looked down and whispered to herself. "Not if they make it through the Circles..." Flippy looked hard at her. "What?"

Morgan shook her head. "Uh, I mean, everything CAN die, but who's to say that they'll stay dead...But, I know about claymore's," She spoke hurriedly, trying to change the subject. "and I'm pretty sure just one can't possibly kill ALL of them." Ryne smiled. "Heh-heh, it's not just any claymore..."

A sudden flash of white light lit up the area. Morgan narrowed her eyes and looked in astonishment at the massive mushroom cloud as it billowed up. A rumbling could be heard at it traveled through the forest. Eerie silence suddenly descended. Morgan perked her ears, then laid them back and covered her face as a huge dust cloud hit, along with a powerful shockwave, which shook the tree they were perched in.

Morgan turned her head to the side and coughed. "What...the hell...?!" She cracked her eyes and saw that Ryne and Flippy were gone. The dust was thick, but not too thick where she couldn't open her eyes fully. She looked around. Not on the ground and, she looked around the surrounding trees. Not in the nearby trees. She scratched her head, shrugged and headed back to the camp, not wanting to be found to be missing.

* * *

Ryne watched the fox go. She smiled and turned to Flippy. "Quite a getaway, eh?" Flippy sneezed into his sleeve. "A little dusty, though..." Her nose twitched, but the Akita held a sneeze in. She cringed and looked at her chest. The dust and dirt was getting into the slashes, making them sting madly. Ryne tucked her shirt and jacket under her arm, deciding that it wasn't a first-rate idea to wear them now.

"Okay, I need to get these slashes cleaned, now! Do you know of any ponds or lakes nearby? I mean, you used to live here." Flippy scratched an ear and thought. "Hmm...well, if my memory serves me right, then there is a place. But, it's VERY cold and really deep." Ryne twitched at another jolt of pain. "I don't care if it reaches to hell, just take me there." Flippy turned and faced north, then glanced at Ryne. "Do you need any help?"

Ryne stood up and shook her head. "No, my legs are fine. Just lead the way. Thanks anyway." She smiled at him. Flippy's eyes were wide and he gulped. Ryne frowned and opened her mouth. Flippy quickly turned his head forward. "I'm not staring." He pointed north. "Come on, it's this way."

* * *

Morgan sat by a fire, watching Bozlef as he paced uneasily. "What was that? Where's Viktor? What he killed? Is he alive?" The fox rolled her eyes. 'God, it's one question after another with this dumb dog! What does he think I am, a seer?!'

Bozlef lifted his head and sniffed the air. Even from here, he could smell the scent of flesh burning. The thought of his older brother, the most savage, cunning, and ruthlessly brutal Shepherd ever, being reduced to a pile of smoldering ash, was just too much for his mind to handle. He gazed in the direction of the blast and jumped in fright.

From out of the woods, came a white, ghost-like form. Still, despite the color and the scent of burned flesh, Bozlef recognized the dog. Morgan groaned inwardly. The thought of Viktor being blasted to smithereens was too good to be true. For there he was, that devil dog, standing before her. His eyes were wrathful and his walk had that aggressive, straight-legged style to it.

Bozlef backed up a bit as Viktor burning eyes swept by, coming to rest on Morgan. He snarled and lunged at the fox. The years she had lived on the streets came back to her in an instant. She dodged out of the way and stood her ground, keeping a large gap between herself and Viktor. The canine's eyes bore into hers and bloody saliva trickled from his mouth. Morgan pulled in a breath as she felt blood flowing down the side of her face. On the ground between them, lay her left ear.

Viktor smiled at her. "Let that be a lesson to you. Trust no one, for they'll only disappoint you in the end! Just like Lig did!" He laughed madly. "'Course, HE'LL never disappoint anyone again!" He stopped laughing and glared at Morgan. "You'll stay alive, but the next time a mistake like that happens, you'll slowly lose your other ear. And, should something else happen after that, well, let's just say, that you'll wish you and your son died instead of lived..."

**(Timeskip--Midmorning)**

The surface of the pool rippled slightly as a breeze blew by. Flippy sat with his back to a boulder, keeping his eyes averted from the pond. A sudden geyser-like eruption came out of the middle as Ryne surfaced with a shout. She turned towards Flippy and spat a stream of water at him, hitting him in the face.

"Why don't ya come in? It's really cold, but you look like a dust devil. You need a bath." Flippy blushed slightly, but still kept his eyes averted. Ryne floated in the water, her head cocked to the side. Her ears perked momentarily. "You know-AUGH!" She shoved herself underwater, making it look like she had been drug under. Flippy turned his head and stared at the wavy water. "Ryne...?" A few bubbles popped on the surface, but there was nothing more.

Flippy jumped up and ran to the edge, staring down into the deep black water. He narrowed his eyes and looked closely, trying to peer into the darkness. In a flash of red fur, Ryne reared out of the depths and grabbed Flippy around the neck, pulling him in.

Icy cold claws gripped Flippy as he sank into the water. He flailed around, then opened his eyes. Ryne floated in front of him, sticking her tongue out. She spoke, but nothing came out except a huge gush of air bubbles. Flippy looked up and kicked out for the surface. His head broke the surface and he gasped in a breath. He looked around, panting, trying to find Ryne.

Her head surfaced next to his. "Why'd you do that!?" Ryne glared at him. "I'm not having you drag all that dust into HQ." He frowned. "That's the second time you've pushed me in..."

"Well, technically, the first time was a push, this was a pull." Ryne remarked as she rolled onto her back and flicked water at him. Flippy rubbed his eyes and swam towards shore. "Haha...very funny." Ryne righted herself. "Oh, come on..." Flippy pulled himself out and shook off, sending water flying. Ryne sighed and swam after him. The Akita climbed out and shook, showering Flippy with more water.

Ryne looked around and flung herself into a patch of dry grass, rolling around. "Come on, roll around in this and get dry. Or you'll get sick." Flippy walked back to the boulder and sat back down. Ryne looked sadly at him and stood, padding over to the rock. She leapt onto it and sat down, pulling on her shirt, jacket, and belts. Flippy was staring at the ground blankly. "Oh, I was just playing around."

"Well, how was I supposed to know?! You could've really been in danger!" Ryne laughed. "Hahahahahaha! Come on, Flip! When I joined the army and became the Corps's Leader, my life's been in danger everyday!" "Yeah, but why joke about something like-OW!"

Flippy closed one eye and looked at Ryne with the other. The Akita was smiling at him, tugging his ear with a paw. "Oh, lighten up, Aka-spawn." He glared at her, then sighed. "Sorry...ergh!" Ryne gave his ear another tug. "Nothin' to be sorry about. Just cheer up a bit!" She let go and stood up, extending a paw to Flippy.

He smiled at her and grabbed her paw. Ryne pulled him up, but kept her hold on him. Flippy stared into her eyes. Normally, he wouldn't have noticed, but her eyes looked...lovely. "Ryne...I-!!"

A sudden roar split the area. Both of them whipped around and stared in horror. A huge gray bear with black scars was roaring at them from between two trees. A powerful pair of claws reached through and, gripping the bark tightly, snapped the trees in half. The bear surged through, roaring savagely as saliva splattered from his open mouth. "Madara!!" Ryne and Flippy yelled in unison as the monster barreled towards them, claws and fangs ready to kill and savage.


	25. Bottling the Wind

**_Zs99: Haha! I just finished downloading Watership Down! I love Kehaar! "You stoopid bunnehs!" Hahaha! I just love how he reacts to everything! Ah hem! ANYWAY...! I've finally managed to finished 25! Sigh...I'm very tired...yawn...VERY tired...we had this stupid thing at school today...kinda pointless at the moment, but what the hell! Read (if you're on this one, I should hope you're reading) and review (thankee kindly to all who did)!_**

Ryne bared her fangs and snarled as the bear charged towards her, roaring savagely as his claws tore up grass and savaged the ground. Ryne ran forward and leapt, moving to the side as she avoided a blow from Madara's right paw, which was now missing a claw.

Madara reared back and fell as Ryne bit deeply into his facial weak point. She let go and jumped backwards, landing next to Flippy. "Let's move, now!" Flippy turned and ran after Ryne. Madara righted himself and barreled after them, roaring in rage. Ryne perked her ears. "What did he say?"

"Why would you think I'd know!?" Ryne glared at him. "You're a bear!" Flippy concentrated on what laid ahead of him. "You stereotypical...! Fine. He said that he'll get redemption if he can bring one of us to Akakabuto." Ryne smiled. "Oh really-watch out!"

Ryne suddenly shoved Flippy. A second later, Madara's huge paw thudded down where he had been. Ryne leapt up and launched herself back at Madara, but the bear evaded and sank his fangs into Ryne's tail. With a jerk of his head, he swung her into the air. Ryne twisted her body and slammed her fangs hard into Madara's weak spot. The bear roared in pain and staggered backwards again.

The Akita let go and landed next to Flippy. Madara steadied himself and stood roaring at them as blood splattered from his face. He charged again, completely ignoring the wound. Flippy threw a knife at him, sending it deep into Madara's cheek, but the bear ignored it and continued the attack.

Flippy jumped backwards as Madara slashed at him. "My God! He must have a major tolerance for pain or something!!" Ryne ran off again. "Yeah, ya think!?" Flippy ran after her as Madara lunged, fastening his teeth into the bark of a tree. He jaws contracted, slashing easily through the wood as he ripped a huge section away and flung it to the side. Madara swung around, roaring angrily, and took off after them.

**(Timeskip--10 minutes)**

"Is it just me, or is something wrong here?" Flippy asked as he continued to run beside Ryne. Ryne lifted one ear and rotated it around. "If you're talking about the extreme lack of Madara or Madara noises, then, yeah, I think something's wrong. Other than that, everything's just peachy!" Flippy glared at Ryne as she stopped and looked behind them, her ears perked and rotating.

"How can a bear that big just vanish?" Flippy asked at he peered into the surrounding woodland. Ryne closed her eyes and listened. Everything was silent, but a very faint noise came to her, sending a chill down her spine. Her fur fluffed out in agitation. "Hmm...follow me." Ryne leapt up and landed on a branch. She turned and looked down at Flippy. "I heard something that really disturbs me. Hurry it up!"

Ryne turned forward and waited. When the branch shook, she took off, leaping from branch to branch. "But...!" Before he finished, Ryne was gone. Flippy rolled his eyes and leapt after her.

* * *

The branches sped by in a brown blur as Flippy looked around, trying to locate Ryne, who had seemingly vanished off the face of the planet. Suddenly, a red paw shot out in front of him and grabbed a pawful of his jacket, pulling him to the side. He opened his mouth to yell, but Ryne clapped a paw to his mouth and held a finger to her mouth. She turned her head and jerked it in a direction.

Flippy looked to the side and saw the huge form of Madara moving through the forest. He stopped and swung his head around. Dangling, seemingly-lifeless, his red tail clamped in the bear's mouth, was KuroKaze. The black cat's eyes were shut and the rest of his body hung limply downward. After scanning the area, Madara turned forward again and quickly moved off, towards Gajou, where Akakabuto waited.

When Madara vanished, Flippy wrenched Ryne's paw from his face. "Why didn't you help!?" Ryne looked after Madara and spoke with a cold indifference. "What difference would it make? You yourself saw what Madara's capable of." Flippy stared dumbfounded at her. "How can you just say that?! Are really gonna let him kill Kuro!?" Flippy growled angrily as he shook Ryne by the shoulders.

Ryne's eyes went slitted. She grabbed him by the jacket and spun him around, slamming his back to the tree. Shock swam in Flippy's black eyes as she snarled at him. "I don't know who you think you are, talking to me like that!! If Madara meant to kill Kuro, he wouldn't go through the trouble of carrying his body back to Akakabuto! Besides," She let go and backed up, her eyes still flashing angrily, "why would Madara kill someone that could have valuable info for him?! He's probably hoping to get back onto Aka's good side, if that's possible!"

Flippy scratched his head. "Ok, I get it. Sorry. I just..." Ryne flicked her ears at him. "Yes?" He shook his head miserably. "Never mind. What'll be do about Kuro?" Flippy asked quickly, hoping to change the conversation. Ryne sighed, then looked up and to the side, tapping her jaw line lightly. "Well, I need to talk with Fyre and everyone before I decide anything." She crossed her arms and looked at Flippy. "We don't have the time to stand here and talk! Let's go!"

* * *

"What!?" Silver's ears stood straight up and quivered slightly. Slip looked down miserably. "Yeah, Ryne said Madara got Kuro..." Silver crossed her arms and paced around on her hind legs, a skill she had mastered after being around Kuro and Slip. Being a Lera, she had only been able to stand upright on her back legs at first, but, after a few days of training with Kuro, she had just as much skill as the half-Varg, half-Lera cat himself.

"I knew something bad would happen..." Silver mumbled as she gnawed on a claw anxiously. Slip lifted his head as Switch walked out of the meeting area, his face hard as usual. "What's gonna happen, Switch?" Silver jerked her head to face the green bear and was instantly launching questions at him. "What happened? What's Ryne gonna do? Is Kuro dead? What is Lobster-Back gonna do to him? What-?"

Switch held up both paws. "Stop it!" The mongoose snapped her mouth shut, but kept her wide eyes trained on Switch. Switch crossed his arms. "Look, if you want to know anything, ask either Ryne, Fyre, Sarge, or Flip." Slip sighed. Even though he was now against Akakabuto, Switch still didn't call Flip 'Flippy'.

Alam suddenly launched himself through the entrance and skidded to a halt in the sand. Switch looked cautiously at the Shepherd. He wasn't used to the presence of the WarDogs yet. Alam merely glanced at him, then padded back to the room. Silver walked away from Switch and sat next to Slip. "What do ya think Alam's inna hurry for?" Slip shook his head. "Beats me. But, I don't think my brother likes him very much..."

Switch scowled at the black bear. "Just because I joined them, doesn't mean I trust anyone, not yet at least..." Everyone turned their heads towards the entrance as a sudden scuffling of paws echoed through HQ.

A slate-gray fox with black Tora-ge markings and a missing left ear had slipped through the opening and stood looking around. Switch recognized who it was and quickly pulled out a blade. He moved quickly to stand in front of his brother and Silver, holding the knife in front of him while he placed a paw on a sword. Slip looked around his brother with Silver.

"Switch, who's that?!" Switch continued to glare at the fox, who was staring coolly at him. "Her name and title's Morgan the Torturer." Morgan narrowed her eyes at him. "I'd very much prefer 'Morgan the Information Extractor', thank you very much!" Switch continued, completely ignoring what Morgan had said. "She works for Viktor and she's the one who tortured Ryne!"

Silver gasped and Slip started shivering violently. Morgan closed her eyes and massaged the side of her head. "Yeah, I did that, but I'm not your-!" She snapped her eyes open as a blade pressed itself against her throat. Switch's voice whispered close to her right ear. "I don't believe you, vermin."

She sighed. "Just give me a chance to explain." "The only thing I'll give you is a slit throat, fox!!" Morgan acted quickly. She slammed her elbow into Switch's stomach and grabbed the knife at the same time. The blade sunk into her paw, but she ignored it as she wrenched it from Switch's paw. With a flick of her paw, she sent it thudding deep into the wall. Morgan spun around and pulled out both of Switch's swords, holding them in the shape of an X on his neck.

Switch stood still but glared defiantly at Morgan. The fox panted slightly as she spoke. "Now will you listen?" He continued to glare, not saying a word. "I'll take that as a yes. I might've worked for Viktor and I might've tortured Ryne, but now I'm working "undercover" for Ryne."

Slip stopped shivering. "Really?" "Really." Slip turned his head as Ryne padded into the room. She nodded at Morgan. "So, what are you doing here? Has anything happened?" Morgan removed the swords and dropped them at Switch's paws. "Yes..." Morgan touched the stump of her ear gently. "But I'm afraid it's bad news. Viktor survived the blast."

Alam snarled and bared his fangs. "That devil! He really IS a devil!" Ryne breathed out deeply, angry that they had failed, yet again, to kill the demon Shepherd. Morgan kept quiet for a second, then continued. "And, although you probably already know this, The Impaler captured your little kitty friend...KazeKuro?" Ryne nodded. "KuroKaze, Flippy and I witnessed it. But, we have a plan."

Morgan perked her ear. "What it is?" From the corner, Crow listened as Ryne explained what would take place, a few hours from now.

* * *

KuroKaze groaned as he slowly started to come around. He opened his eyes, only to close them quickly as sharp pain shot through his skull. He raised a shaky paw and rubbed his head, feeling a warm wet spot. The black cat sniffed, smelling the salty scent of blood.

He rolled over and hit something metal. His head forgotten, Kuro leapt up and backed away, rubbing his eyes as they burned. Eventually, his eyes became accustomed to the bright light. The cat cocked his head to the side and stared at the cage. Curled up inside, there was a red porcupine. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she trembled violently.

Kuro took a step closer and peered at her. "Hey..." Her eyes squeezed shut tighter. "Please, just leave me alone! I don't want to die!" Kuro blinked a couple of times. "Why would I want to kill ya? I'm not with Lobster-Back!" Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at the black cat.

"I-If you're not with him, who are you and why are you here?" Kuro flinched and touched his head again. "My name's KuroKaze and, well, although I'm ashamed to admit it, I got captured by Mr. Impaler! How long have you been here?" He asked, just noticing how thin and emaciated she looked.

"I don't remember...I gave up counting awhile back." Kuro growled and flicked his tail. "Then I'll help you get out!" He declared as he moved towards the cage. The porcupine suddenly shut her eyes and curled tighter. Kuro stopped and looked up, finally taking everything in.

He was in a huge pit with sheer walls. Dried blood was smeared here and there and there were bones littering the floor. KuroKaze turned his head up and jumped in shock. The entire rim was full of bears and several of Akakabuto's black Varg. Kuro put his back to the cage and looked around. "What the-! Where'd they come from!?"

The young cat shivered and crouched down when a huge bear appeared, his one yellow eye glaring down at him and his crest of red fur bristling. "You and your pathetic friends are fools to think you can overthrow me! You'll die slowly, along with my spawn!" He reared up and slammed his paws down hard, shaking the entire area, roaring all the while.

An icy claw of fear gripped Kuro. All of the bears and Varg had started stamping their paws, making the whole cavern shake and rumble. He heard the porcupine whimper in fear, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the demon bear. Which meant that he didn't take notice to the black Akita standing still, waiting to make a move.

Akakabuto glared down his snout at the cat, then lifted his right paw and whacked the floor one last time. The stamping faded quickly, everyone terrified that they'd draw the attention of their leader. Kuro shook himself and turned to the porcupine. "Here! We need to get away, NOW!"

She suddenly opened her eyes and screamed. In her terrified eyes, Kuro saw a huge beast come out of a cave. Quickly, Kuro dodged to the side as a large clawed paw shattered the ground were he stood. KuroKaze's eyes went wide as he stared into the face of a monster.


	26. Gotcha nose!

**_Zs99: Whew! It has been so long since I last put out a chapter! Sorry, guys, but I just needed a break. Heh, work and no rest makes me a very evil person! So, enjoy chapter 26 everyone!_**

Kuro stared up in horror at the huge dog monster that stood over him. Spit dribbled constantly from his fanged mouth and his bloodshot yellow eyes flashed madly as they locked onto Kuro. The young cat shivered madly as the dog opened his mouth wider and pulled his head back, getting ready to plunge his fangs into living flesh.

A cold bead of sweat ran through his fur. 'There's not way I can fight that thing!' He thought frantically as shudders continued to run through him. The dog suddenly crouched lower to the ground, bracing his muscular body as he prepared to pounce. He closed his eyes and, for the first time in his life, he felt hopeless. He'd die here, never knowing what it would be like to be an actual member of the Corps.

'KuroKaze...' Crow's voice rang through his head and he perked his ears. 'your day will come soon. When the battle against the demon bear arrives, you can prove to everyone you are a member of the Suicide Corps.' "Battle against the demon bear..." Kuro whispered as he cracked his eye and looked behind the monster, locking his gaze on Akakabuto. "I get it now..."

The Monster lunged, his fangs bared and his claws stretched out to grab him. Kuro dropped to his paws and surged forward, leaping high. He slammed his paws down hard onto the monster's head, sinking his claws deep. The monster skidded to a halt and shook his head, howling as he tried to shake Kuro free.

Kuro struggled to keep his eyes open and his claws deep as the monster ran around, crazily shaking his head, maddened by the stabbing pain. Kuro felt the monster's warm blood wash over his paws as he ripped one paw free and slashed madly. The monster howled and reared up, thrashing his upper body in mad throes.

KuroKaze looked up and locked his eyes on Akakabuto. The bear was staring down at them, obviously amused at the cat's attempt to defend itself. Kuro narrowed his eyes and, once the monster threw his head towards Akakabuto, he wrenched his claws free and launched himself at the bear.

Crow felt her throat tighten as she watch Kuro sail at Akakabuto. 'That little fool! Why the hell would me do that!?' The black Akita turned and looked at another black dog. The dog looked at her with blood red, slitted eyes. Ryne gave a barely perceptible nod. Crow faced forward and took a deep breath.

Akakabuto growled as the cat came at him. "You're just a little fool." He said simply as he snapped out and grabbed Kuro's tail in his mouth. Kuro yowled, but swung his body around and sank his fangs deep into the bear's nose. Akakabuto didn't even flinch as he tilted his head up, preparing to shake the cat from his snout.

Kuro felt a massive jerk as Akakabuto nodded his head up and down forcefully. He felt his fangs and claws rip free and, in a panic driven state, accidentally shoved his paws, all the way up his elbows, straight up Akakabuto's nostrils, sinking his claws deep into the soft flesh. Akakabuto's eye went wide and he reared up, roaring and snorting fiercely.

Kuro's throat went dry as snot and blood splattered on his face and ran down his arms. He yowled as Akakabuto shook his head back and forth, striving to free himself from the clinging cat. Kuro would've laughed if the situation wasn't what it was. 'Man, no one will ever believe this!' He gulped. 'If I live through this!' Akakabuto stopped shaking his head and glared at the cat. Kuro smirked at him and cheekily said. "Gotcha nose, Lobster-back!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Kuro saw a flash of dark brown fur and the glint of razor sharp claws as Akakabuto swung his paw up. Kuro quickly yanked his paws out and leapt back into the pit. Akakabuto's paw kept going and smashed painfully onto his snout. Angrily, he snorted more blood out and shook his head.

Kuro twisted as he fell, trying to right his fall, yowling when he saw the monster rear up on its hind legs, mouth agape. There was a black flash and the monster was hurtled to the side, blood pouring from a wound on its shoulder. Kuro landed on his paws and blinked at Crow as the black Akita grabbed his tail and started running.

"W-W-Wait!" Kuro yowled as he was pulled along. "What ab-b-bout that porcupine!?" Crow leapt up, landing on the pit's edge, darting quickly through the mass of bears. "Ryne took care of her. She's already out of Gajou and gone." Crow moved to the side, barely avoiding a stunning blow from the paw of a huge gray bear, and vanished through the exit tunnel.

Akakabuto glared after them. He turned to the side and faced a dog. She was a small, thin Doberman and her fur was an unusual light brown and her black eyes were strangely bright and clear. She looked at her master and sat up straight. Akakabuto spoke in a low rumble. "Follow them. Find them. Watch them. Then kill their leader and bring me her head." The Doberman nodded, her eyes shining, and slipped away through a hidden exit tunnel.

Akakabuto looked into the pit and stared at the monster as he roared and ran around, ignoring his wound as he scoured the area for any signs of his prey. Akakabuto perked his ears and listened as a bear near him turned to another. "Heh-heh, looks like the little kitty got Aka's nose!" He whispered, completely unaware that he had attracted the attention of a demon.

Akakabuto turned and fixed his single eye on the bear and padded softly over to him. The bear's companion sank back, his eyes fixed on his murderous leader. The bear who had made the comment froze in fear as he saw Akakabuto reflected in the other bear's eyes. He turned, just in time to see the flash of black claws as Akakabuto slashed out his tongue, knocking him down into the pit.

The monster jumped as the huge body thudded down, sending a sickening snap though the cave as the bear's back was broken. The monster stared at the bear, who was groaning with pain, then bared his fangs and leapt, ripping hungrily at the still living bear.

The bear's roars filled the area as Akakabuto reared up and swung a paw at the other bear. The bear cringed as his leader's claws sliced off his ear. Akakabuto slammed his front paws down hard, shattering the rocky ground. "I hope you've learned your lesson." He lifted his head and swung his gaze around, fixing everyone with a cold stare. "All of you. He" Akakabuto pointed at the dead bear. "lost his tongue for talking about me behind my back. And this one," The other bear cringed as he was pointed at. "is a lot luckier than his friend. I only took his ear for listening. I am Akakabuto. I've killed my mate and my son, so don't think I won't hesitate to kill you!!"

**(Timeskip--20 minutes)**

Kuro rubbed the back of his head angrily. "You know, Crow, you could've just let me run on my own." The black Akita laid her ears back. "Yes, I COULD'VE let you run, but I didn't want to." Kuro growled and faced Ryne, who was busily shaking the coal dust from her fur. "Ryne," Kuro said in a whiny voice, "tell Crow I could've run on my own!"

Ryne stopped shaking and looked up. She flicked her ears, sending a small amount of dust into Kuro's face. "Why are you still bothering to even think of that? It's in the past." Kuro's tail, ears, and whiskers drooped. "Oh, come on..."

"So, I see you got the little idiot back." KuroKaze perked his ears and turned his head. Fyre, Flippy, Switch, Slip, and Silver emerged from the woods and were staring at him. Silver rushed forward, dragging Slip with her. "Oh, Kuro! You're alive!" She let go of Slip and leapt onto her friend. Slip rubbed his wrist. "You know, Silver, I can walk on my own. You didn't have to break my paw just to drag me over to see someone I see everyday."

Ryne shook her head and faced Fyre. "Did you meet up with Great?" Fyre nodded his head. "Yeah, 'cept he didn't look too happy. But I guess that's because he had a couple a prickles in his nose." He frowned. "Where did that little pincushion come from anyway?" Kuro strained to get away from Silver, who was hugging his tail.

"Well, she said she'd been there for awhile. But, she never said who captured her-RAAOW!!" He was suddenly pulled backwards as Silver heaved on his tail. Fyre snorted and shook his head. "Well, whatever, let her rest, then we'll ask her." The Tora-ge faced Ryne and winked. "Isn't that right, miss Leader?"

There was suddenly flash of light. Ryne gave a jerk and swayed. Blood sprayed from a deep slash in her shoulder. She ground her teeth together and, gripping her shoulder, dropped to the ground, avoiding any other attacks. Fyre swung his head around, trying to pinpoint the attacker. He looked at Flippy, then blinked.

Flippy was frozen in horror has he stared down at Ryne. Her blood had splattered out on the ground and some of it had landed on Flippy's jacket and paws. He occasionally gave a twitch and his eyes seemed to be tinged with green. "Who are you!?" Fyre turned his head and saw Kuro. He was fluffed up and looked angry as he stared up into the branches of a tree. Fyre followed his gaze until he pinpointed the attacker.

The small Doberman stared down at the group on the ground. Blood from their leader stained her lips and face. She snorted. 'If that Akita didn't move at the last second, I'd have severed her head!' She thought angrily. She gripped the branch, digging her claws into the bark.

Fyre moved in front of his sister's still form, getting prepared to protect her from any further attacks. 'That was a Lightning Attack...she can cut straight through me if she had half the mind to...' Fyre suddenly flinched as Flippy pushed him out of the way and stood in front of Ryne. Fyre propped himself up on his paws and glared at the bear.

"Flippy! You idiot! What do you think you're doing?!" Fyre felt a shiver pass down his spine as Flippy looked at him with one green eye. Flippy stared for a second, then faced the Doberman.

The assassin bared her fangs and leapt, her body turning into a flash of light brown light. Fyre struggled up and ran, hoping to get Ryne out of the way in time. The Akita blinked in confusion as there was a whack sound. What he saw caused him to skid to a halt.

The Doberman stood on the ground, her muzzle and face held tight my Flippy. Blood dripped from his paws from the wounds inflicted by the dog's fangs. Flippy's paws shook, obviously from the amount of pressure they were putting on the enemy. The dog's claws dug into the earth as she struggled to pull free of Flippy's grip.

Silver took a step forward. "F-Flippy, you can-!!" Blood suddenly sprayed everywhere as Flippy tightened his grip, shattering the Doberman's jaws and face. She screeched and succeeded in pulling free from Flippy, who was smiling evilly. She lifted her forepaws and swiped at her face. Flippy pulled out a bowie knife and, with a blood-curdling cry, leapt onto her.

"Ryne...Ryne..." Ryne heard her voice being repeated over and over again, except it seemed to be come from far away. She mumbled and twitched as pain flared through her shoulder. She sat up and snarled angrily. Kuro stumbled backwards. "S-Sorry!" Ryne blinked slowly and looked at her shoulder. Her jacket and shirt were ripped and bloody, revealing the wound that slowly oozed blood.

Blood suddenly splattered close to her paw. Ryne jerked back and swung her head to look at Flippy. The Doberman was long dead, mutilated beyond recognition. Flippy stood in the midst of the bloody battlefield, splattered from head to toe in blood. He was breathing heavily as he looked around, finally resting his eyes on Kuro.

The black cat laid his ears back and fluffed his fur out, backing away from the green bear as Flippy started to stalk forward. Ryne glimpsed his green eyes and recognized the look from when he and Fyre had fought. She grimaced in pain as she lifted herself up, finally standing firmly. "Flippy! Cease and desist!!"

Instantly, Flippy stopped walking and shook his head, his eyes clearing and going back to their normal black. He looked at the bloodied knife, then at the blood on him. He looked at Ryne. "What happened?" Before Ryne could answer, Fyre jumped in. "What do you mean? You just mutilated the dog that attacked Ryne." Flippy's eyes went wide and he looked behind him to where the dog's remains laid.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ryne caught Switch shaking his head sadly. She turned her head and looked him straight in the eye. Switch glared at her, then turned his head away. 'He knows something...' The thought was cut off as Flippy walked up to her. "I swear, Ryne, I didn't mean to go that far! I just..." He sighed and shook his head.

Ryne reached out and grabbed his paws, turning them to face her. They had deep slashes across the palms. "Don't worry about it. Everyone here has done something like that during this war. 'Course, some of us have done worse..." She smiled and snorted. "Still, what's done is done and we can't change it. For now, we need to get the wounded taken care of, which, may I remind you, includes yourself." Fyre crossed his arms. "Flippy!"

Flippy turned and looked at Fyre. The Tora-ge Akita was glaring at him. "You need to get your paws bandaged. Not everyone is lucky enough to stop a Lightning attack with their paws and walk away with 'em." Ryne perked her ears and looked strangely at him. "You caught a Lightning attack? The best normally can only dodge them!" Ryne said with a smile.

Silver blinked at Ryne, then looked at her paws. They were slashed deeply on the palms, as were Fyre's. The mongoose opened her mouth to speak, when Fyre interrupted. "I really think we need to be heading back, you know, before Vik or Aka catch us?!" Ryne nodded in agreement with her brother. "Yeah, besides, I want to talked to that porcupine. Okay, everyone, let's move out!"

* * *

Akakabuto watched them move out. Beside him, stood an old, scarred female Timber wolf. Her yellow eyes glittered happily as she stared at Flippy as he and the group moved away. She turned towards Akakabuto and gave him a toothy smile. "Well, well, well! That proves I'm right! Only extreme emotions trigger it!"

Akakabuto swung around to face her. The wolf stood perfectly still as she stared up into Aka's yellow eye. "He did the same thing when I slew his mother. He was too young to even inflict a bit of damage at that time." He turned his head and faced the woods. The wolf's jaws gapped in a yawn. "Would his lordship like for me to follow them?"

The bear turned and slowly walked through the woods. "No, Morgra. I need you with me. We have much to talk about." Morgra looked after them, wanting very much to rend their flesh and spill their blood, but she ruefully swung herself around and followed her leader back to Gajou.


End file.
